Heavenly Days
by SugaSugashi
Summary: Danger threatens Soul Society's nobility as Byakuya Kuchiki finds himself with pressure from his clan to get married. Love, betrayal, confusion, mystery, pain, future, and past of the shinigamies's lives in these heavenly days before the winter battle!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Alright, obviously I don't own any Bleach characters. Would love to own Byakuya, but…well

This is my first fanfic of Bleach. Please tell me what you think. Thank you so much. Reviews very appreciated.

…

The sky was falling rather slow this evening; a tiresome dusk tried to catch up with the echoes of ringing bells. Their rustic sounds made him feel so old, and ages, as always, were full of memories. There was no wind to stir his silence, or to wake him from this dreamy reminiscence. Only the disappearing of light that curtained the last fragments of the present from his psyche.

"Hisana… The Chinese bellflowers are really beautiful this year, aren't they?"

From his balcony, Kuchiki Byakuya could see past the glowing river, and throw his gaze upon the opposite ascending field, freckled with blue violet dots. They looked most beautiful in full sunlight of day, but he could rarely manage the time. Indeed, with a war in due and bad reports piling up, he could no longer afford to take his eyes off the list of duties. But what is the benefit of it anyway? He could no longer set foot on that field again…

**Chapter One: The Man Called Hiroshi Tono**

Earlier this afternoon

"Is it out of my way to suggest to you such request?" Asked an old but dignified man, his eyes flickered. He wore a simple black kimono with Haiku sewn in silver threads on the sleeves. His mustache was overbearing, brassy and massive. It was usually tied a different way each day. But for some reason he chose not to tie it today, maybe it was to irritate his apprentice whose expertise for neatness was to the point of adamant essential.

"I am not subjecting myself under your judgment regarding my personal decision." Kuchiki Byakuya said sternly. The tea had cooled, but none of its drops had been drunk by either of them. It might be the scratching thirst that made his words harsher than usual, even to this man whom he had always feared as a child.

"And please do something about your mustache" Byakuya added.

"Byakuya…" The old man touched his white mustache and smirked "you still amuse me so". But despite the amusement on the curve of his mouth, his voice grew deep and serious.

"It is Byakuya-sama, even for you, Sensei. I am no longer a child"

"Right" The old man lifted his corner a bit more to smile "You need to forgive me. I'm old, and old habits die hard. After all, I was your Sensei for roughly a century. Am I right, Kuchiki Taichou?"

Byakuya's eyebrows twitched at the old man's stubborn evasion of addressing him with higher status. He was the head of the Kuchiki clan. But this old man had never called him other ways except his first name, and his shinigami title.

"The entire Kuchiki clan owes you for the education of its twenty-eight heads, Sensei. But I do not intend to let you forget your position, Hiroshi-Sama. You are not among the elders of our clan…"

"Do you think, my little Byakuya, that by telling me of my humble authority, you can escape this conversation and end it quickly?" The old man's eyes glared up. He was so ancient one could not count how many wrinkles were there on his face. But there were such cunning depth in his layers that one could not disregard him as a weakly illness-stricken senior. He snapped, "Don't toy with the one who had taught you to speak, Byakuya!"

A sweat appeared on his temple. Damn it, the old man could read him so clearly even after quite some time of no interaction. More infuriating yet, Kuchiki Byakuya could see that he was still dominated by Hiroshi's presence. He made a quiet protesting sound in his throat. But the hands folding on his thighs knew he could no longer avoid this unpleasant discussion. He stilled for a quick moment, then sighed to the maid at the corner of the spacious room:

"Bring us some new tea, then take leave."

…

"Let us talk now, Byakuya." The old man, after drinking his tea, took out a folding fan decorated with different Haikus in goldflakes. Nodded Byakuya. "Oh, you are no longer insisting me to address you with –Sama?"

"No matter how many time I insist, you would always call me by my first name. Sensei, please begin your reason."

"Hasty, eh? Not a trait your father would wish in you, Byakuya. –The old man smiled, and his eyes misted with tender remembrance- to think of it, you are not so much alike after all."

"SENSEI" Byakuya raised his voice a little. _This conversation would never be over at this rate!_ He thought. Kuchiki Byakuya hated conversations being run against his will, prolong against his will, or controlled by any other except him. But when it came to Hiroshi Tono, he could do nothing other than enduring the slow torture.

"Right, right, eh, Byakuya, how long has it been since your wife passed away?"

"Fifty-years" He said with his eyes looking down, and the pain came back as vividly as the shiny sparkle in his teacup. For him to answer such question, and for the question to come so abruptly, the room stirred a little. Hiroshi Tono ignored that fact, and kept on.

"A pretty long time, I say, even for a shinigami?"

"Not for me" He protested.

"Now, now, Byakuya, you need not to lengthen your mourning period to prove you loved deeply. I would say it is time for you to move on and take a new wife, for both your and Kuchiki clan's sake."

His eyes darkened. The tea wavered a bit more. It was still only small ripples approaching the surface. He could feel the inside of him shaking in detest of Hiroshi's claim. The shadow seemed to outnumber the light. One could not count how many stripes there were on the floor, or felt the prettiness of petals floating in the teapot, only the intense dropout of noise. Then a tiny crack of a bubble in Byakuya's teacup came about.

"Byakuya, don't even think it!" Hiroshi suddenly stopped fanning himself. His voice, though very low, roamed the air. The aura coming from him oppressed all particles filling the room. And the creeping motion Byakuya stirred up had flattened to nothing.

In an instant, the image of his unfortunate wife swept through his brain, engulfed his being in the beautiful sadness of her passing. There was so much pain. He thought. And so much happiness…

"Byakuya, it is time to let go of old images. –Hiroshi said again, this time in tenderness- Especially for you, Byakuya, you have mourned her passing long enough."

"It is not the …convenient time for me to consider domestic happiness, Sensei. –Kuchiki Byakuya brought up his only formidable reason- Soul Society is at preparation for war, a war that can determine the future of the world. My full participation is much needed. Therefore, I could not pursue any other task."

"Pshhh, you just have to bring that up, do you?" Hiroshi Tono closed his fan, and pointed it at Byakuya. His head leaned forward, as if to give his stare more leverage for the sake of penetrating through Byakuya's defense.

"War is war. There will be more of it. Before war, there would be preparation. After war, there would be restoration. Using war as an excuse to elude your domestic future is such nonsense. Coming from you, whose duties are not only to Soul Society, but also to the Kuchiki clan, that excuse appears even more pitiful."

"Sensei, it might not appear as dire a situation to you, whose shinigami's responsibilities have diminished…"

Something was going down, and

FLAP!!!

"…"

Byakuya widened his eyes in disbelief. His whole body was rigid as if it was bound in fastened chains. A fury roared within him, but lacked the wings to fly. _That old man…he…dared to…smack me on the head…like I was twelve._ He kept his head bowed, but what he wanted to do was to throw out this man who had no respect for him whatsoever, and even forced upon him a topic he never wished to discuss.

"Still not fast enough to dodge, little Byakuya? –Hiroshi Tono withdrew his fan, satisfied- all right, let not talk about my responsibility just yet. Even though I much desire to smack you senseless after what you have just carelessly commented. Don't think just because you are the strongest descendant out of all the Kuchiki heads that you could raise your voice against me, kid!"

"I have spoken rudely." Byakuya bowed, noticed the aura of his Sensei had been rather pressing again.

"Anyway, no one is asking you to marry right away. We merely request you to at least look at a few candidates. If things go well, then go drink some tea, attend some festivals. Then after careful evaluation, we might propose an engagement. Byakuya, is producing an heir in case of your demise in the coming war not on the list of priorities?"

"May your reason enlighten me?" He replied politely.

"Byakuya, war is coming. What is wrong with spending a bit amount of time in happiness before the arriving sorrow?"

Hiroshi's words were spoken in such gentle scorns that this time, he met no resistance.

"I will speak to the elders about this matter tomorrow." Byakuya said, ending the conversation abruptly. He wished to speak no more of his defeat, or of this ordeal awaiting him.

Without a word, Hiroshi Tono took his leave, while Kuchiki Byakuya still sat there, next to the tea that had grown cold. He spent his time out the balcony that evening, watching the field of Chinese bellflower dampening its color in musky sunset.


	2. Chapter 2

"Kuchiki Taichou, these are the reports from yesterday's missions, and also schedule of future missions for you to clear." Holding the little mountain of paperwork on her hand, the girl's eyes did not dare to leave the dirty spot on the floor. For Kuchiki Byakuya despised lower status people looking at him directly, and it was not appropriate for a subordinate to even speak to her superior without permission.

"Bring it over to the Lieutenant. Tell him I want them done before dawn tomorrow." Byakuya ordered without looking up.

"Oh, there is something else." Just as the girl started to turn away, Byakuya's voice sounded again- "If it attracts your attention so, don't you think you should wipe it clean?"

The terrified girl nodded, the proceeded to finish her task.

**Chapter 2: The Ball for Nobility**

"No wayyy, Kuchiki Taichou said that?" Abarai Renji jumped off his desk in disbelief "He never gave me full authority on anything considering paperwork before… Does this mean…"

"That he must have trusted your leadership ability more? Not likely!" A beautiful woman appeared at the doorway. On her left, she carried an unfinished dish of Takoyaki. On her right hand, she was holding a fork. "Really, Abarai-kun, you think Kuchiki Taichou ever noticed how his subordinates progressed?"

"No… But usually he handles the formal paperwork while I run around checking our squad. This gesture means he had trusted me with more formal operation." Renji always had a habit of looking at things rather positively, especially when it came to promotion and progress in work. His tattoos had increased at a much rapid pace lately, with battles kept on coming, as his collection of sunglasses decreased rather rapidly as well.

"Hmm… I hate to tell you this Abarai-kun. But I think the reason why Kuchiki Taichou gave you those reports is because he had to attend a ball tonight." Said Matsumoto while chewing one of her Takoyaki dumplings. From the corner of her eyes, she watched Renji widening his mouth into a scream.

"You don't expect Kuchiki Taichou to sit at home and read books all the time? Ya… He is, after all, of nobility you know. There are social obligations and privileges he is entitled to. I am so looking forward to this ball. I even bought a new outfit." Laughed Rangiku. She enjoyed teasing all her friends so much.

"What… Rangiku-san, you are invited?"

"Hitsugaya Taichou gave me his invitation. Isn't it neat? –Matsumoto reached into her bosom and took out a sakura-scented delicate card, the calligraphy was graceful ad elegant- and it is no ordinary ball. They say Kuchiki Taichou would be looking for candidates for his future wife. Hahn, just imagine the commotion!"

"Future…wife?"

"Renji-kun, are you okay? RENJI-KUN!!!" Matsumoto bent over what appeared to be Abarai Lieutenant's unconscious body by extreme mental shock.

…

Not that Kuchiki Byakuya was unfamiliar with these types of formal social setting, but he had always frowned upon parading oneself for other eyes to see. He had always found these occasions distasteful, with nobles from different clans comparing each other's wealth, noble girls trying to catch an eligible bachelor, and those who were not born into privilege prying into noble lives and taking advantage of their social hostility. With all the revulsion in his heart, the head of Kuchiki clan steered his look to the open window where he could catch slivers of the quiet blossoming of his trees. The maid carefully fastened his cufflinks, which had blue sapphires mounted on. Despise his fondness of Japanese clothing, Kuchiki Byakuya sometimes found Western clothing rather pleasurable. He wore a black suit today, with French ruffles collar. Wrapping around the collar was a black silk choker, also enriched with a sapphire cabochon brilliantly surrounded with snowflake white diamonds. The stone had a deep fire within it, and the symbol of the Kuchiki clan emerged quite distinctly in particle inclusions. Regardless of the affluence garments he wore, Kuchiki Byakuya always appeared to be apathetic toward the significant meaning of how much they cost. To him, it had come to no such puzzlement that he should be dressed in finest materials. Something Hisana, his wife, had always commented upon. She thought he should have shown more appreciation of the amount of benefits at his dispense. They never did quarreled about this slight disagreement. But it was something neither of them could fully understand one another's point.

"I am done, Kuchiki-sama." The maid stepped aside, pulling herself into the shadowed back. Her gaze intently fixed on the floor, not at the master.

Byakuya looked into his reflection for an instant, then left. That evening, he did not walk himself over to Hisana's shrine. Somehow that came to him as vulgar and insensitive, telling his beloved wife of this ball's well-understood but unspoken intention.

The announcement had finished itself before he knew it, and the music was commenced to start. Just as he had expected, all nobilities had gathered this evening on his floor, dressed in their finest. It was easy to spot those of higher rank of aristocracy. Their eyes had no sparkle for the lavish of decoration. They wore on their smooth faces a silk mask of serenity. Their gaze lingered on nothing, nobody. To Byakuya, they looked rather comfortable. To other people, they looked like ornamented dolls frozen in the boredom of plump loveliness. For the reason of civility, since the ball was hold in Kuchiki name, it was his duty to start and participate in the first dance of the night, which was always the Branle. He stood in line along with three other male members, each of them from four most noble families in Soul Society. Their dance partners stood in line in front of them; each was a female from those four noble families as well. The floor was waxed shiny, like gold inlaid. On the ceiling, fireflies were caught in crystal holdings, and then jointed into chandeliers beaming in weightlessness. The ballroom was caught between a regal luminosity and a quixotic glow. It disconnected itself from the dark night outside which was misted with breezes. The music was rowing now. So he danced, fleeting across an ocean of attentive eyes of spectators.

"Whoa…who would have thought Kuchiki Taichou could dance so well?"

"Well, he is of nobility after all. I bet he had gotten used to these dances a long time ago" Ukitake remarked, his face shone kindly. He had worn a satin gray suit with a thick off-white shawl covering one of his shoulders. It did not go with the severe-looking suit he wore, for its motif was colorful and childish. But he wore it anyway, since his subordinate gave it to him just this morning knowing he would attend the ball.

"But seriously, Ukitake Taichou, why would you wear such childish shawl anyway? Not mentioning the fact that woman often wears them. It completely alters your cool look, you know?" Rangiku commented.

"They were concerned about my health, my noisy subordinates. Plus, if I did not wear it, they would not let me go at all" Ukitake continued on. His smile remained constant, even though his contour kept fading and his skin paler than usual.

"You should have stayed home and rest, Ukitake Taichou." A woman stepped inside their conversation. Her gown was simple but dignified. Her hair, still braided in front, was adorned with babies-lilies in each knot. "Given your condition, no one would blame you."

"Ah no, I am his Senpai, for me to not go to this ball would be rather inconsiderate."

A good number of captains did not attend the ball. But the given invitations were clearly for formality, not genuine incitement. The Kuchiki elders considered it fitting, if not swell, that the eleventh squad captain did not make an appearance. So was the seventh division captain, Komamura Sajin. Though noble elders greatly respect Shinigami captains, they were unable to accept that such high ranking could be bestowed upon individuals with such common upbringings. Even though they actually wished for one more absence…

"Oy…oy, so this is where ALLLL the pretty girls been hiding!"

…The womanizer, Kyouraku Shunsui, captain of the eighth squad; for one of a noble family to act so shamelessly, the elders did not consider him befitting of the name of aristocat. But then, his blood was still one of theirs.

"Kuchiki Sama, here is Lady Hiname, and her daughter Katsumi" Kuchiki Toshi walked him through a line of candidates, with their evaluations associated with the orders they were being introduced. They were all beautiful, he thought. They were all so familiar, with expressions much like his own. What could he use as an excuse not to be interested in any of them?

He did not keep count of how many pretty faces he had made acquaintances. It might have been twelve, might have been twenty, but one fact he knew in his heart: none of them was the smallest resemblance of his wife Hisana.

The night grew thin. He turned weary of the endless streams of noble girls. But still Toshi-sama continued on.

"Kuchiki-sama, this is Lady Naoki Helena. Regrettably her father could not make it tonight due to his illness"

Kuchiki Byakuya bowed without looking at the girl being named. But him being a head taller than she was, it was inevitable that he would have to catch some glimpses of her face. It was poise he thought. She possessed no great beauty, but just the way her head laid proudly on her neck. She wore a simple sky blue dress shimmering like the stars. Her hair ran down her spine, black and wavy. The line of her jaw was too strong for anyone's liking. And the name Helena...a foreign name. Even though he knew the Naoki House never had a foreign wife before.

"You do throw the most spectacular ball, Kuchiki-sama." The girl praised. It was nothing he did not hear before. So his face remained apathetic, leaving Toshi-sama the task of thanking her civil comment.

"Thanks for your compliment, Kuchiki-sama would like much to ask for your hand in the next dance."

_Toshi_… Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes flashed open the grin widening on the elder's face. _So this is she. _Byakuya thought silently. Every girl was introduced, but only ones who being offered a dance were approved by elders. And in all of them, only one would hear the words "Kuchiki-sama would like". That one was the one with the highest expectation. A system without sentiment for its candidates or members; that was the system of nobility.

Byakuya offered his hand, inviting her into his frame. Her hand gesture was ice cold, gracefully trained and lacking any natural awkwardness. No wonder the elders picked her, they must think he would be more receptive toward marriage if it were with a mirror of his own. He laughed solemnly into her eyes. Deepness answered his laugh. There was no sparkle in those wide eyes of Naoki Helena, only disdain coolness. But she had put herself into his arms, to be led by him whom she bore no love or interest for. _Maybe this is a good idea after all, someone whose heart is as wintry as mine. _Kuchiki Byakuya said into void.

"Is that satisfaction I see, Kuchiki-sama?" She smiled. It did not cross his mind she might speak, let alone smile.

"Oh, that is rude of me." Replied he mechanically.

"It isn't nice apologizing if you don't really mean it." Her smile got bigger this time. He threw her out for a twirl rather abruptly, and then took her back.

"What made you think I were not sincere?"

"Because you're noble. Sincerity is one trait nobility is not praised for." Helena looked straight in his eyes, and he hated it. She was making fun of the same people to whom she belonged. Moreover, she had the nerve to look in his eyes with such directness. _Was this the behavior of a noble? If she were among his clan, he would surely deal with her later. But... she was not.  
_

"Lady Helena, are you not a noble as well?"

"Yes. And there is nothing genuine about me." She replied dryly. Her nails shoved into his shoulder. It did not cause him pain, more like puzzlement. But before he acted, she had already given the response.

"If I was sincere, I would have refused to dance with you. Because frankly I have no interest in you, nor in marrying you, Kuchiki-sama!"

He stepped on her foot.

"Ouch!"

They stopped in the middle of the song. There was a sudden rip of whispers among the spectators. He did not know whether it was intentional or accidental. Just that her bluntness startled him. That, combined with the fact that she was expected to act coolly upon her anger, shocked him. So he looked at her with confusion. He could see anger, and loathing in her eyes.

"What happened?" People asked among themselves. Byakuya felt like being surrounded by bugs, hungry for a leek of info. This evening had become overbearing. And Hisana's quiet smile came to his heart. He wished to escape, and he regretted not speaking to her earlier. Signaling to the servant, he turned to Naoki Helena:

"She would take care of the damage I have done. Please excuse me."

He left. And she noticed he didn't give out an apology.


	3. Chapter 3

"KUCHIKI TOSHI!!!" He called the name up like poison burning the inside of his mouth. _What reckless fool! _Enraged Byakuya. He could not quite recall another time he had been this angry with his elders.

"Yes, Byakuya-sama." Kuchiki Toshi answered. His voice was smaller than usual.

The sky was calm. It was a meeting among decision-makers of Kuchiki clan, a meeting commenced by him, Kuchiki Byakuya. His face, being the most youthful among them, was also the most furious. The fury of a noble was nothing like an explosion of a volcano. The fury of Kuchiki Byakuya was like thunder corrupting on earth that made the land roaming in terrible quakes.

"Have I done what you asked of me as Kuchiki clan's head despite my own consent?"

They all nodded. He did. _I did. _The thought even drove him madder. _I did what they asked of me and look what happened. _

"That woman butchered our pride. Worst yet, she was chosen by my elders, gotten permission from them to spit insult in my face. To think a group of the wisest men, whom I sought counsel, could have made such grave mistake…"

"We understand Byakuya-sama is upset…" The oldest one started to speak, but his words were cut into pieces by Byakuya's glare.

"Upset? –His eyes pierced them all- A mere woman dared to humiliate your head master, who was led to expect better judgment from his elders. Have you forgotten I AM the head of the Kuchiki clan?"

The room suddenly presented an odd scene. It seem the shadow of Byakuya had grown immensely, while the dominance of the elders had diminished, crushed by his absolute resolve.

_This clan shall have one master. One master. And no one, be it common or noble, shall take pleasure in degrading our pride. EVER. _Kuchiki Byakuya swore.

**Chapter 3: I Shall Crush All Oppositions!**

"It looks like you have angered Kuchiki Taichou, Helena-san." Unohana gently claimed. "I heard he had commenced a meeting among Kuchiki clan regarding what you said to him last night."

The House of Naoki was vibrant with flowers. The pond was trembling with fishes swimming about, jumping out of water to catch delicious spheres sprinkling down by Helena. She fed them with the same gesture she used with Kuchiki Byakuya, with much sense of duty and the least sense of genuine affection.

"Oh?" She reacted carelessly.

"Captain Kuchiki is a proud man, Helena-san. He does not take insults very well, nor does he forgive them easily."

"Then he just needs to grow a bigger heart" Helena retorted.

Retsu Unohana sighed. She had always been a close friend of the Naoki's family. She was there to witness the passing of Helena's mother during childbirth. It was a painful year she recalled. Naoki Helena had the title Lady Naoki transferred to her since she was so young. She had no memory of playing with friends. Only meetings to attend, social commitments to make, a life of complete routines was set up for her. When it was found out that Helena could not be a great Shinigami like Yoruichi Shihouin, one thought the House noble history was finished. But Naoki Helena made the name Naoki formidable again in its wealth. She took over her father's business, and provision of materials to Soul Society was depended totally on Naoki Trading Company. _As the result, she had grown cold. I have never heard her praising anyone or sharing any sympathy toward even the most pitiful soul._

"He is not so bad, Kuchiki Taichou I mean. He can be surprisingly caring sometimes. And he is not bad looking either, Helena-san."

_No,…he's not. _Helena thought. _He is handsome actually, and his manners were perfect. You could smell nobility in even the air he breathes; not mentioning his strength, he has such amazing reiatsu… He is, after all, THE HEAD of the Kuchiki clan, the most prestigious among all noble Houses. _Without realizing it, her cheek flushed.

"I have no intention of marrying him, or even speaking with him. We would never be able to live happily next to one another."

"Why is that?" Unohana inquired. She could not figure out why Helena was acting so rude and deliberately offensive to Kuchiki Taichou last night. It was so unlike her.

"Because we are both too proud." Said flatly Helena.

…

Ukitake spoke very softly in all his conversations. It was in him, that true nobility could be found, some said. Sitting up from his bed, he slightly teased his guest:

"Wow, it is a rare occasion that you visit me. And I thought I was free to do something embarrassing."

A scoff was what he got for making such joke. _Oh well, Shunsui tells them much better than I do anyway._

"So, what brings you here today, Byakuya-san?"

Silence greeted him.

"Is this about Helena-san?"

"That girl…such insolent. I was appalled by how a lady of noble upbringing could be lacking any pride, or decent manners."

"You know, Byakuya-san. Helena-san had to assume the role of Lady Naoki very early in her life. I would say if there were someone who understood pride, it would be her." Ukitake claimed. He was trying to be as delicate as possible. _I wouldn't want to risk getting him mad, especially today, since he had come to see me personally._

"Are you implying she understand pride more than I do?" Byakuya's tone deepened to a threatening murmur.

"Ayyy, don't be angry so needlessly, Byakuya-san. I just mean that Helena-san and you are very alike. That's all."

"Alike? Me and the like of HER???" Byakuya's tone had turned into a low growl.

_I'm not good with this. Jeez, he got mad anyway. Maybe I should just tell him blatantly what I know._

"Byakuya-san, do you know that Naoki Helena was chosen as your wife the instant she was brought out? –He waited for an expression- No? I thought so. The fact that Helena-san inherited the title Lady of House since she was born was one of the most important reasons behind that decision I guess. They had planned for you and her to wed as soon as you were ready. It really did shock the people who was aware of this unspoken wish that you married Kuchiki Hisana instead."

"I think the reason why Helena-san acted the way she did to you last night was because of pride. It must had been hard for her to accept your sudden marriage with Kuchiki Hisana, though I am sure she bears your past wife no grudge. To be suddenly cast away, then asked again to be engaged to the man who had refused to marry her, Helena-san must have felt very confused and insulted."

Ukitake elaborated his explanation with a gentle expression on his face. Something Byakuya always thought as Ukitake's noblest trait. Despite all situations, ugly or distaste, Ukitake had always shone a dignified stance.

"I danced with her. Should she be the least a bit pleasant to me?" Inquired Byakuya.

"Byakuya-san, it takes more than a dance to smooth over hurt pride. Don't you know? ... Anyway, you should take to Helena-san if you want the truth. I am uncomfortable discussing this any further since it's only my speculation. Plus, I have never talked in details with her about what happened with the marriage proposal."

"I see. Thanks for your deliberation, Senpai." Kuchiki Byakuya stood up from his seat. He could not help but steal a glance at Ukitake, still smiling and waving to him from his sick bed. _What embarrassing thing that man could have thought of doing? _He wondered. _That man really does not have a sense of humor. _Took note Ukitake of his glance.

…

"Damn this bandage!" Shuhei Hisagi cried out loud after having to re-enforce his face's binding the third time.

"Hisagi-san, why do you have the bandage anyway? I don't remember any scar." Kira noted.

As expected, the meeting circled among lieutenants did not gather any new information. They were all doing pretty much the same thing: training. So instead everyone used these meetings as a get-together, though they all hid this from their superiors.

"Yachiru knows. Yachiru knows. –A cutesy girl suddenly jumped off the floor onto Hisagi's shoulder- Hisagi-kun is weirddddd! He's weirdddd!"

"Stop saying that in such a cute little voice. I can't yell at you if you keep doing that!" Pissed Hisagi. Despite his outlook, he was never one to exercise violence. Instead, maybe the most rebellious part about him was his appearance.

"Ehh, anyone who knows Hisagi knows he is such a softie." Rangiku laughed at Shuhei's effort trying to get Yachiru off his shoulder. "Anyway, you should come ask Naoki Trading Store if they have anything for you. Last time there, I got a new recommendation for my lipstick."

"And when was this?" Asked Kira.

"This morning"

"And when was the last time you went there?" Asked again Kira.

"Yesterday" Rangiku cheerfully provided.

"Wait up! Naoki Trading Company? Is it owned by Naoki Helena?" Hisagi inquired.

"Hai. What then?"

Shuhei searched inside his uniform for quite some time, pulling out strange things one could have kept inside a kimono. After ten minutes, he took out a magazine.

"Was she this girl?" Cried Hisagi, pointing at a picture in the Soul Society's Gossip. It was a series of picture from the first moment Kuchiki Byakuya greeted Naoki Helena to the infamous scene between those two.

"Whoa, the news is fast. I wonder if my picture is in it!!" Rangiku teased while everyone gathered around, bending over the magazine which was laid flat open on the table.

"Kuchiki Taichou really had it rough… What did they say to one another? ... She's pretty attractive eh? ... Rangiku-san, it's you right here!!!..."

"What are you all doing?" Kuchiki Byakuya's voice suddenly entered the room.

…_We're dead…_ They all thought.


	4. Chapter 4

"What are you all doing?"

"Um… Kuchiki Taichou, we were just… discussing about Soul Society's current important events." Renji hastily offered.

"Oh? –Byakuya's eyebrows dangerously came together- and I guess what happened at the ball the other night was important to Soul Society?"

_…He's pissed…_

"How shameful! We are preparing for war, and all Lieutenants are poking their noses in magazines and irrelevant gossips."

"Byakishiii! You're meannnnn! –Yachiru protested. Her cheeks fluffed up in what Hisagi called: red dot balloons- is that why you stepped on Lady Naoki?"

_… That Naoki… has made me the joke of the entire Soul Society…_

The wall started cracking underneath the intense pressure of his reiatsu. But Byakuya did not pay attention to any of the changes around him, not even to the lieutenants to whom his anger was made blatant.

"Go back to your stations at once. Don't let this happen again. Am I clear?" Kuchiki Byakuya disappeared from the door frame after his order.

_…Man, he really IS mad…_

**Chapter 4: Creatures of Pride**

Naoki Helena liked to sit outside in her garden alone. It was simply pleasant in being surrounded by nothing but silent nature. She liked the outside through all the seasons, not that there was much snow during winter here. The air was particularly whimsical today, she remarked. _And the scent of blossoming jasmine… delicious… They really bloomed overnight. _Reaching for the freshest flowers, Helena admired their purity. The petal was so small. She got a bit excited about using them in baking later. But then she might not be able to make any at all, given how she had to go check on the shops later.

"Naoki-sama, Kuchiki Taichou is here and requesting to speak to you."

"Tell him I'm not wel… Hm, clearly you can't take no for an answer, Kuchiki-sama. –The shape of Kuchiki Byakuya emerged in Helena's sight. _That man certainly is used to getting his way._ –Leave us, Rei-chan!"

…

"I suppose you know why I am here, Lady Naoki."

"If you want to ask how is my foot, then do not worry. It already healed." Helena could not resist the temptation to get a reaction out of the always-serene Byakuya. _What is it about this man that is so untouchable? _She stole a glance at him, who had halted right beneath the arched shade of the garden entrance.

"It seem you are good at avoiding questions, Naoki Helena. –Byakuya took casual steps toward the stone path. Though plagued with confusion and anger, he still admired the gorgeous landscape unveiling before him. The whistles of birds, the sly buds on young trees, and the lullaby of running water were together a symphony whose beauty could not be denied by any soul. His facial expression softened. –Why had you acted so ill-mannered toward me?"

"You don't strike me like the type who would care about something so trivial, Kuchiki Taichou."

_No, he is not. Normally he would not care for something so small such as loathing of others. But this is different. _A shape of a boy with bright orange hair came into his mind. The boy who had challenged his pride… He remembered how serious he had become over that insolent spirit of Kurosaki Ichigo. Just a tiny word from that brat could get the inside of him boiling. _This Naoki Helena is just the same._

"It appears that you do after all. –Smiled Helena after perceiving no intention of changing the subject from Byakuya –So be it. Since you are so persistent. Here is why I have no interest in you or the Kuchiki clan, Kuchiki-sama."

"From the moment of birth, I was promised to you. In all my childhood years, I was taught to please you, not my father, nor my kin, but you, whom I never met. I never knew my mother. In fact, it was a relief not to know about her. So I would not have to abandon another of my own family to learn the Kuchiki's way. Aside from being Lady Naoki, I learnt to be Lady Kuchiki as well. I was told it was destined that I would be your bride, and that I was to give you my soul, my body, and my heart; that this decision was final, among elders of both Houses."

_On the day I reached young adolescent, I was allowed to see you. _–Recalled Helena. Though her sound was hushed, she could not control her rebellious thought running its own way–_When I was still a baby, you had already reached your adulthood. So I was scared. I thought I was doomed to marry an old man whom I could not even lay my eyes on, let alone sharing a quarter. –_Her lips curved in the bitter-sweetness of memory_ –However, the man I saw that day walking through the hallways of Shinigami Institute was not a wrinkly old man, but a young noble, whose face resembled a knight: earnest, courageous, stern but actually kind. In my foolishness, I even pictured myself falling in love with you someday._

"But when I came into maturity, it had become apparent that my shinigami ability was not worth mentioning. I trained days and nights to fill in the talent hole I was not born into."

_"All this is because of your mother!" _–One of the elders's voice rang in her head –_"If your father had married a decent match, not a foreigner, this would not happen!"_

"I learnt how to be the perfect Lady Naoki. I learnt how to be your future bride. I had tried my damnest to satisfy everyone's expectation. But I was not a shinigami with a bright future, despite all my efforts. ­–Her voice wavered –At the same time, my father contracted a mysterious illness. The responsibility of the Naoki House was forced upon me in one night. I did a poor job at that as well. In the fifth year of my father's illness, my failure as a shinigami combined with the poor management of our business brought the Naoki House to its knee. But that was not the worst!"

Turning to Byakuya, Helena's eyes sparked.

"The worst thing was, right after my father fell to his bed, you Kuchiki withdrew the marriage proposal, implying that I was no longer a worthy candidate. This incident had fouled our status, making us the laughing stock of Soul Society. –Naoki Helena continued, her voice trembling with anger –Then, to make the disgrace more insulting, you married a commoner, with not a shred of nobility in her blood."

_I was raised to be Lady Naoki of the Noble Naoki House, who would one day be the bride of Kuchiki Byakuya, head of the Kuchiki clan. But in matter of days, all that I was prepared for had evaporated into thin air._ Shame, though passed many years ago, tasted as repulsive today as it was yesterday. _The Naoki name was crumbling. I was rejected by Kuchiki clan; but moreover, you whom I carried a fancy for in the name of my future husband, had also deserted me. Apparently, I was worse than a commoner._

"My pride was crushed by you lots. Thus I made a promise to myself, that under no circumstances should I let anyone, particularly those of Kuchiki names, to stomp upon our pride once more. So Kuchiki Byakuya, when your elders approached mine to restore the betrothal, I took it like poison on my tongue. Sixty years ago, you had shamed us. Now, like bloodhounds smelling qualified preys, you came running asking for my hand again. I accepted the invitation to the ball so I could tell you, in person, that I had no wish nor interest in marrying you, Byakuya!" Exclaimed Helena, addressing him without any proper title.

She halted in all gestures, fists clenched, piercing her stare into the man standing in front of her, whose face had remained indifferent all this time. _If only you had looked like the kind of man I despised, if only that face was hideous by trickery, why need it look like white marble if it felt like limestone?_

"I see –Finally, Byakuya uttered in calm voice –Thank you for telling me this."

In an instant, he had vanished. But his presence still filled the atmosphere. _The trees missed him? Even the carefree fishes are now awaiting his return. _The coldness in her seemed to burn.

"Such a man could only bring you misery." She said aloud, but received no feedback.

The morning had worn thin. Sunlight had started to spread with more thickness than an hour ago. She could see the dews diminishing into the warmth of day. The rhythm of her hours had started. _I guess I better get ready to check on the shops._

Naoki left the garden. Her heart was in a terrible quaver, and she wondered why.


	5. Chapter 5

The sakura was in full bloom. Their fragrance drifted about in space, bellied his senses in a beautiful past, a past that was still in preceding even after fifty years.

_…Hisana…_

_She loved the sakura in blooms._

The sakura tree and Hisana, for two unconnected beings, they had weaved into one complete existence he could never separate. When a bloom opened itself on the slender branch, he could see her gentle smile unveiling across his eyes like it was only yesterday they had sat right here, on this marble bench, in silence. Then she would leave for her quest to find Rukia, despite his protest due to her failing health. Sometimes he gazed at the sky and saw her face embedded among the stars, her voice flown in the winds, and the essence of her surrounding him in the scent of cherry blossoms.

_What would you have me do, Hisana?_

Being a commoner, Hisana never forgot her status. Kuchiki Byakuya was always a higher entity than she was, or so she decided. Though he had expressed his wish to be loved by her as simply a man, she had never called him without the title Sama. To her very last moment, he was always Byakuya-sama to her. This fact pained him, for somehow it widened the difference between them, the gap he thought he bridged with his love.

_"Byakuya-sama, thank you for loving me so wholeheartedly"_

It never occurred to him that he would love her forever. But he had realized it along the years they had spent together. Her death finalized that fact. Somehow, the passing of Kuchiki Hisana had only solidified her existence in his heart. She was alive in him with such persistence he never thought he could feel for another being.

_"It was like a dream"_

She had always looked at him with such earnest eyes. He wished she could have gained a bit more strength to tell him if her love for him was just an intense gratefulness. He wondered if it were appreciation that had crafted her love. If he had not given his heart so passionately and vigorously, would she still love him then? But none of it mattered anymore. From long ago, he had decided that she loved him just as much as he did her. She was his wife even if they could not marry each other. That she would always remain his wife, even if he were to be wed again.

"Byakuya-sama, the elders wish to have a word with you."

…

**Chapter 5: A Marriage of Convenient**

From the beginning, their intention was to repay what they severed. Sixty-years ago, they had broken the honorable promise to another noble House for the sake of their master's wish. _A childish wish _some of the elders recalled. But many springs had passed since then, and it was time to let the wheel, which had stuck, roll again on its destined course.

He was to be the offering in order to settle the debt between the Kuchiki House and the Naoki House. This marriage would put both houses in good nature with one another once more. It would also erase the shame Kuchiki elders felt when they had broken their words. It would provide the Kuchiki clan with its first lady and possibly an heir who had long been awaited. Most importantly, their marriage would bring together two powerful, wealthy noble houses. It was the match desired by both elders and ancestors. Byakuya understood, more than anyone else, these principles.

He remembered how Hisana always took it upon her every time he disobeyed the rules. She encouraged him to live for the Kuchiki clan as much as he had lived for Soul Society and her. She reasoned that one could only be so fortunate as to be born in a noble clan such as Kuchiki. Thus, one must perform one's noble duties, and carry out what was considered best for the growth of one's clan.

_You were always so kind, even toward the people who had ridiculed you as common. _Said Kuchiki Byakuya in the muted whisper of his heart.

"What decision have you reached, Byakuya-sama?"

_…You would scorn me terribly if I have done otherwise, right, Hisana? ..._

"If this marriage is what the Kuchiki desired, then I shall follow."

…

The night was tender as always. The busy streets were stripped bared to its bone. Serenity crowned itself in the emptiness of sound. The crickets barely sang tonight. Neither did the falling leaves make rattles. She walked among the wandering ghosts, in the mild blows of winds. Carried with her a small lantern, Helena counted the steps she had taken away from the Naoki manor. It was something she had always done since she was nine. _How far could my legs take me away from there? How far could I go without my heart throbbing in guilt?_

Once she had walked for thousands of steps. But somehow her heart was imprisoned in that place she called home. She detested it, and she loved it. It was her sense of devotion she despised. Duty was such a problematic word. It left her wondering if she did ever really care.

A ripple in the air alarmed her. The trees danced, reaching their arms toward a shaping form at distance. The blooms awed in happiness. But Helena was terrified for she knew whom was it strolling in this night. _Kuchiki Byakuya. What is he doing this late?_

In a hurry, she blew off the flickering light in the lantern, and then hid herself among the thick sakura trees. As soon as her slenderness merged behind the minions of trees, Byakuya entered the public garden.

He carried with him no light, but placed his steps as if he had memorized these paths down to its newest stone. He wore his captain uniform, his sword attaching to his side. It was apparent that he had just left his shinigami's duty. Byakuya enjoyed midnight walks. He enjoyed this feeling of freedom and solitude. In these pretty hours, he ceased to be any of his titles, and existed as only Kuchiki Byakuya. _But not tonight._ He could sense company. A slight annoyance fled into his eyes. Byakuya had difficulties sharing his space with others. Moreover, he had much anticipated being alone tonight. The details of his future marriage were still in discussion, and he was asked to take a bigger role in the preparation. But his mind was not troubled because of such minor matters. He found himself thinking of Naoki Helena and her loathing of him.

_Could I ever be able to live next to that person who detests me to the deepest of her heart? _He pondered unto himself. _How could I give myself entirely as her husband while I had no wish myself to take her as my wife?_

He smelled a scent in the air. It was soothing and beautiful. He commented. Then he noticed small breathing among the sakura trees. The breathing was low and feminine. A pull greater than his own drew him circling to the trees who were awaiting his visit. His heart, despite the wise consult of his mind, shuddered in its foolish longing.

_Hisana…_

He reached out through the shadows, and heard a small gasp, along with the rushing of movement.

_Got you._

Placing his hand on the rough skin of a tree trunk, Byakuya blocked the escape path of his uninvited companion. He could feel the warmth between them, and her scent evading his quiet being. He let his gaze traveling down to her face, and his heart expected someone whom his logic knew had forever departed.

"Naoki?" _It was a delusion after all. _His heart sadly accepted.

The moon shone silver upon their shapes. The winds blew shyly at their feet. The silkiness of the night wrapped itself around the encounters. With her back pressed along the tree line, Naoki Helena raised her chin. The widened eyes she saw were full of curious emotions. But she could see sorrow, and a terrible longing, brought forth with such intensity and sincerity it froze her movement. So she stood there, looking at patches of his noble face made visible by the moon, inhaling his scent flourished in the close space they shared, and feeling his breath upon her. There was something different about him in that moment she could not quite make out. But she could feel her heart beating so fast like a dying bird. From the depth of her calmness, a scream awoke with panic she could not analyze.

"Lady Naoki, what are you doing here at this hour?" He questioned her, had no intention of letting her out of his entrapment. Her hair loosely framed her face in yielding waves. Her eyes reflected the silvery of moonlight with a softness he never saw in them before. The iciness had simply melted away without trace like it never existed. You could almost describe her as beautiful…

He caught himself staring at her, and turned away to hide his embarrassment. In the back of his mind, he secretly hoped she would go away, so he would not have to live this awkwardness anymore. But when he heard no rushing of steps, he sighed in discomfort and faced her.

"You should not be outside alone without your escort, especially at night, Lady Naoki."

When she made no attempt to either oppose him, or follow him, he grew irritating. He could have done anything for a sound, a voice, or a stir. He suddenly was very alert that they were alone, and merely inches apart.

"Your lantern's light had died. How do you expect to find your way back, Lady Naoki?" He tried again.

"I walked these streets before. Light was only an added ornament." She answered this time.

"Nevertheless…"

"Whom were you expecting, Kuchiki-sama?" She cut him off.

"No one the reply rolled out of his tongue like a reflex- what made you think I was expecting someone?"

"You looked disappointed then. Like you were expecting someone else, and not I." She explained with an unfamiliar earnest in her voice. In those brief moments, her anger for him vanished, replaced with a much mysterious feeling.

He glanced at her, half confused, half annoyed. He avoided her question by quickly returning to the road, his back facing her.

"It's rather late. I shall walk you home."

…


	6. Chapter 6

"NO" Helena retorted to the Kuchiki's messenger. "Please report back to your elders that I decline the offer. Please also tell them that I have no need for a husband, much less one that does not even have the manner to ask me himself."

With a clap, she sent the courier away. _I could have gone to the shop a quarter of the hour ago. Instead, I had to waste my time listening to this._ Standing up, Helena ordered to the servant standing near:

"Prepare the carriage"

Three times. Three times the messengers were sent back with refusal. "I guess the third time wasn't the charm after all?" Kuchiki Toshi commented. "It seems Lady Naoki is not willing to accept this marriage. Shall me consider another candidate?"

"No" A sternness replied. The man who spoke it was not among the gentlemen at the table, but had appeared out of nowhere at the arched doorframe. Today, his mustache was tied into upside down spiraling trees. "Naoki Helena is the match chosen for Kuchiki Byakuya. The union was blessed by the ancestors, and cannot be changed!"

"Hiroshi-Dono, it seems that you desire this match greatly. Understandable since you were the one who suggested that Naoki Helena be his betrothal." -When Kuchiki Horomaru spoke, everyone else flinched into shells. For he was the oldest of the elders, and also the most influential. He rarely said anything; for his sight was already terrifying enough, there was no need to heed his voice. "But the Naoki House had repeatedly declined our offer. Do you incline that we try until Soul Society ridiculed Byakuya-sama?"

"Lady Naoki had refused, yes, but not the House of Naoki. There was one man, and only one man who is still the head of that House. You know it, Horomaru." Loud gasps were hushed down, for Hiroshi had addressed Horomaru with his earthly name without any required title. Horomaru's face, which dyed in a stainish color, turned sour. He stood up from his chair, rising like a great monster from its throne.

"How dare you think you know better than us about the Kuchiki matters?" Horomaru knifed his words.

"Knowing Kuchiki's matter? No. But I know Byakuya, and I know you, Horomaru. It came as a great surprise that you did not oppose Byakuya or at least tell him about the decided engagement between Kuchiki and Naoki when he first asked to marry Kuchiki Hisana. You also had never raised your voice in pressuring him to take on his Kuchiki's responsibilities after Hisana passed away. You, Horomaru, who had always been the capital of Kuchiki's wellness, had not done anything. You had let that boy running without guidance, and at the ball, his image was tarnished. Have you any reason for your silence all these years, Horomaru?"

"My reason..." -Horomaru's eyes hissed- " ...is not to be understood by the likes of you, Tono!"

There was a dangerous tension in the air. A quarrel, a deep dislikeness, a terrible rivalry had awakened in the heart of the noble Kuchiki clan. No one dared to lift their sleeves to stop the sweat running down their pale temples.

"Very well... Hiroshi Tono, since you insisted, we will send a messenger to the Naoki House again"

"No need. I will take upon the task myself -Hiroshi flashed his hand as he turned his back to the counsel- since the three couriers you had sent all proved to be incompetent fools!"

With those last words, the meeting had ended.

**Chapter 6: The Serpent, The Lion, and The Hawk**

"Hisagi-san, this tape is very effective, but it might hurt when you take it off at night"

"No problem. I'm sure the pain can't be much more than this" Shuhei Hisagi pointed at the three lines running vertically on the right side of his face.

"Would you like an ointment for that? It can erase the scars in a month!" The seller held out a plastic tube. "We just got this in yesterday, the human was raving about this product"

"A shinigami wears his scars proudly. For they are remembrances of his great battles, and also evidences of his courage. Right, Shuhei-san?"

Hisagi turned around to see Naoki Helena standing at the entrance of the Naoki shop in her usual blue kimono. Her hair was let loose, but combed neatly. She was tall for a female, but of course still shorter than most men. Though somehow she always appeared to be much taller.

"Helena..." Hisagi stated, then his face blushed for realizing he had called Naoki Helena with her first name. "I mean, Naoki-san, please forgive my rudeness"

"That's quite alright. -Said Helena, though she flinched at Hisagi's overtly closeness- I assume you did not know of me taking over the Naoki business?"

"I knew of it for quite some times. I saw your picture in the magazine too. But I couldn't believe my eyes; you've grown so beautiful. And your hair is longer now, Hel...I mean, Naoki-san. Heh, I just can't seem to break the habit of calling you by your first name" Hisagi scratched his head. "Sorry!"

…

It had been a long time since they last talked. Last time they met, Hisagi was without his scars, and Helena without her wintry look. Shuhei Hisagi recalled the countless times he had sneaked into Helena's study when she was out with her tutors, and left her the location and time of their next meeting. Hisagi believed he was her only childhood friend, though they had played together on much fewer occasions than normal childhood friends did. He also recalled the passionate crush he felt for Naoki Helena. This crush, that later grew into something else he did not name, was never confessed though after numerous times of being with her. _She was promised to Kuchiki Byakuya._ He recalled.

_Once, next to the shaded pond of the tenth district in East Rikongan, she asked him to kiss her. They were teenagers, youthful and innocent, performing a play for laugh. She had fallen into a deep sleep, and only to be awakened by the kiss of her beloved. "Hisagi, would you be my beloved?" She had asked cheerfully. But his lips, though longed for her, suffered from shyness and fear. Her status intimidated him, and her heart puzzled him. So he left her sleeping on that bridge forever, or at least that part of her that asked for his kiss. Their childhood together slept there forever as well. The next day, Naoki Helena went to see her future husband's face, and they never hung out again. Hisagi had hoped for one day to come clean with his feeling, especially since he learnt of Kuchiki Byakuya's marriage to Kuchiki Hisana. However, the moment had passed them by..._

"You really made Kuchiki Taichou angry eh? I can't think of how terrible it must be being with him when he's angry"

"I merely stated some facts, that's all. -Naoki Helena proceeded with her steps- but that did not back them down from proposing a marriage"

His eyes shot open. "Marriage?"

"An ancient pact that was broken years ago. You knew of this, right?" Helena raised her brows.

"Right..." _So nothing had changed._ He thought. The wheel, which was disrupted, now had resumed its course. For years, he had harbored a useless wish after all. "Will you accept it?"

"No. I would never want it myself now, after what that man did to my pride" Said Helena with her back to Hisagi. But in a small corner of her memory, she thought of their encounter the other night. The genuine sorrow and such intense longing Kuchiki Byakuya had displayed came to her so abruptly her fingers stopped in its motion of opening the inventory lists.

_You couldn't possibly want someone who betrayed your trust, could you, Helena? Someone who left you sleep there, next to the shadowed pond, forever._

"I see. Well, he would be lucky to have you, Helena" He claimed, once again, unaware of his informal language.

"It's Naoki-san, Shuhei-san" She softly reminded him.

"Right, my bad" He laughed.

…

_The river had grown so wide he could no longer cross,_

_The bricks had risen so high he could no longer breach,_

_The wind had gone so long ago,_

_he could no longer fly with it._

_Only to catch dry seeds_

_and moan_

_for chances lost._

* * *

"I must speak with the head of the Naoki clan." Inquired a man so old his look paralleled the trees. 

"Lady Naoki has gone for the day. I must ask you to come back another time." Karamura Rei politely asked of her guest.

"I said the head of the Naoki clan, not Lady Naoki. I want to meet Naoki Hokunara"

"The Master is at rest..." started Rei, but she was cut off by a cough.

"Tono-sama, what brought you here?" Naoki Hokunara appeared. His skin was pale, and his stand was weak. In his golden eyes, one could still see the man he once was, and somehow that fact stirred even more pain.

"Hoku..." Hiroshi looked at his great-great-and twenty-five more times great-nephew with sadness. With Naoki Hokunara laid the entireness of his past, a past that would soon disappear. Though never spoken of it, he had felt the weight of ages on his shoulder. Each day, the weight was more apparent than the last. He had begun to wonder if it had finally come to him. But it did not. He might have grown old; so old that "old" was no longer enough to describe him anymore. But it had not come to him yet. It chose to torture him, and he had evaded its torture with the fond memories. But Hokunara's time had settled, and he knew the end must be near.

"I come to discuss the future of the 28th head of the Naoki House, Hokunara. –With a deep voice, he informed the sickly man before him- I have come to discuss the future of your only daughter"

The golden eyes of Hokunara flashed an unspeakable emotion, and then they were quiet. There was a dignified acceptance in them, and also momentary despair.

"Prepare some tea for us, Rei-chan"

...o0o...o0o...

"Father, how could you ask that of me?" Exclaimed Naoki Helena. "Have you not seen the face of the Kuchiki? How could you expect of me to forgone what they had done?"

"It is for your happiness that I ask this of you, Helena." Gently put Naoki Hokunara. "Kuchiki Byakuya is the only worthy match as your husband"

"I have no need for a husband at all!" Helena cried.

"Nonsense! Then who would carry on our name?"

"I rather have none than to merge our name with the Kuchiki!"

"Helena..." Hokunara coughed violently into his hand. The white sleeve of his quickly turned crimson red.

"Father!" Helena's voice shook in panic. "I'm sorry for my behavior. I have spoken too freely. Please... I have made your health worse." As she said those words, tears swelled up in her eyes. All those years, she had taken on the task of Lady Naoki, and neglected her task as a daughter. She had left her sick father to the care of servants, and she had not sat down with him more than twice for sixty years. She was afraid to look at him, afraid to find death closer and closer to his throat. She had evaded the sight of his for she could not bear to see him dying. _He was only sick, that's all._ She kept telling herself.

"Always speak freely, Helena, you have done no wrong. -Said Hokunara, his tone a whisper- you have been... a good daughter one father could ever want"

Hokunara could feel the last shackles of vitality leaving him. His feet had gone numb. His spine gave out to the gravity of this world.

"FATHER!" Naoki Helena threw her arms around his shoulder, keeping him from falling into his bed. "CALL FOR THE DOCTOR!" Yelled Helena to the old maid outside. She feared he would never rise again this time, and she feared she was right. She feared that time, which was stolen from them, could never be earned back.

"It's funny really. Centuries ago, I carried you just like this when you came unto this world. -Smiled Hokunara, a warmth filled him to see the cold eyes of Helena watered- you had done enough for our House and me, Helena. You need to go to the one you were preparing for. You have lingered here too long, past... the due day. -Coughed he- and so has I"

"Father, there are still years ahead of you!" Begged Helena; though she knew in her heart it was not negotiable.

"No. There are years ahead of you, Helena. Don't throw it away for mere pride." With the last of his strength, Hokunara grasped the hand of his daughter. It had come for him. And he had only moments to spare now. Death was always impatient. It had grown rather even hastier with him somehow.

"Naoki Helena, you are now officially the head of the Naoki Nobility. I bid your judgment proved brighter than the sun, your virtue remained pure as snow, and your heart gentle as the singing breeze. Pray you bring upon the Naoki House pride and enlightenment, for you are the twenty-eighth head of this noble clan"

The coronation was complete. The twenty-seventh head of the Naoki clan, now, could feel the weight of duty released from him. _My heart is finally at peace. _His other hand reached to his daughter's face.

"Now, my words to you are words from a father, Helena. It would be my dying wish that you accepted this marriage proposal of the Kuchiki House, and be Kuchiki Byakuya's wife. Give him your whole as you had devoted it to this House, and me. Goodbye, my beloved daughter"

With those words, Naoki Hokunara, the twenty-seventh leader of the Naoki clan took his final breath.

_There was the Lion,_

_Then the Serpent,_

_Lastly the Hawk._

_In a raven moment,_

_among shadows,_

_the Hawk shall bid its departure_

_to this world._

_Leaving the Lion_

_mourning,_

_and the Serpent_

_contemplating._

…


	7. Chapter 7

The funeral of Naoki Hokunara was an event of courtesy. Being sick for so long, people had forgotten how great of a man he was. But all of his friends had gathered at the temple to whisper the last goodbye. The smell of incense was overwhelming, but it could not overdose the solemnity of the ceremony. The image of his coffin burnt into Naoki Helena's eyes, a charcoal reminder of the man who was her father. She stood alone, far apart from everyone else. A silky head wrap covered her long hair; it crafted her eyes to appear larger than usual.

There was a loneliness she never experienced. But more than loneliness, it was a feeling of lost. She stood among the people of her clan, and never felt more forlorn. She thanked them for attending the funeral, but left wondering of their sincerity. In her eyes, a cloud had passed over and concealed behind it all these tides of emotions she dared not summon.

When she looked up, she saw him, walking ahead of his clan. He wore a simple black kimono with his clan symbols in the back, heading toward her. She could not see his eyes, for he did not look at her. The crowd started its whispering. She understood his appearance meant a public announcement of their to-be-married-status. So she put her feet firmly on the ground, waiting for him to approach.

"My condolences for you loss" He said quietly.

She bowed in return as an ocean passed between them.

**Chapter 7: ** **A Strange Union**

…Three days later…

Kuchiki Byakuya waited in the Harmony Garden of the Naoki House, and dimly noted how cheerful was this scene compared to the house's melancholy state. His heart detested coming over here to talk about the marriage settlement when the House Master had just passed away.

"_But we could wait no longer. The war is soon!" His elders cried._

He counted the ripples in the pond to ease his conscience, when a sound came into his ear. He quickly stood up and turned around, but it was not Naoki Helena herself, but her maid, carrying a food tray.

"Lady Naoki asked me to give you her deepest apology since she cannot see you today"

Of course, Byakuya knew Helena's exact words probably were: _get rid of that man _or_tell that priss to leave_. But he made no remark of this knowledge, turning his heels. Then he noticed the formal food tray the maid was carrying.

"Is that… for your Lady?" He inquired.

The maid, probably stunned by his question, carefully replied:

"Yes…Kuchiki-sama"

His eyes leered at the food, which had been untouched. _I see. She really is morning the loss of her father. _It suddenly dawned on him that the way he viewed Naoki Helena, cold and unaffected, might be just how other people viewed him.

"How long has it been since last time she ate?"

"I… I can't answer your question, Kuchiki-sama. The mistress would be displeased with me. She specifically told me to tell you nothing else except reciting what she said"

Byakuya laughed silently at the fact that there was one maid in this world who would be more afraid of disobeying her mistress than of upsetting him. Then again, he had noticed how everyone in this household seemed to be afraid of angering Naoki Helena. _I wonder how she ran this house. _He puzzled for a briefness of time, envied the fact that she could even handle the elders at the Naoki House with ease while he had so much trouble at home.

He gave the maid a glare. As soon as her head bowed down so low he could see her losing her balance, he knew this maid was also afraid of him as well. A satisfaction settled in him. Then he felt a bit of slight pity upon the poor maid, caught between two Masters. So he said rather softly:

"I am her future husband. It is my entitlement to know of such details"

Somehow, the maid mistook his use of words for genuine affection about her mistress. The honest girl then proceeded to tell him every bit of details about Naoki Helena he had no interest in hearing. Apparently, when he said details, the girl thought it meant every little details from birth till now. Her eyes flashed in excitement, and she recited to him everything about her mistress. His head was spinning when she finally revealed to him about Helena's present state:

"Lady Naoki had not visited the shops since the day Naoki-sama passed away. –The maid said this as if it was something even more substantial to Helena's normal routine than food or bathing- She had not slept either. She stayed in Naoki-sama room all day, refusing to eat. She did not allow us to put his things away, or to enter his room. I am afraid for her, Kuchiki-sama. Please help us to take care of her!"

He flinched at the maid's request. Though carrying a sort of courteous compassion for her lost, Byakuya had no intention to shoulder her in this matter. Not that he was heartless, but he thought of himself in no position of trust in her life to offer support.

"I'm not sure I can help"

"But Kuchiki-sama is mistress's future husband. If even Kuchiki-sama can't help us, then no one could!" Exclaimed desperately the maid.

"Yes, that is true. –He had set up his own trap, and there was no way out of it. So reluctantly he nodded- Lead me to her"

…

She stood in the room her late father had spent all his life in, motionless. His katana rusted upon its stand. His desk with the ink still had not dried. The bitter odor of his medicine still lingered in the air, along with the golden scatters of his eyes. She looked up to the velvet ceiling. _How tedious he must had felt looking to this ceiling_ _lying on his bed. I should have put some kind of calligraphy or some painting on it. That must had cheered him up quite immensely. _Scold Helena at herself. Sadness gnawed at her like a maggot would at decaying corpse. The more it gnawed her inside, the more vulnerable she became on the outside. With her father gone, she no longer cared of the Naoki business. She thought of how much time it had took away from her duty as a daughter, and how that precious time could never be gained back. Any comfort from the wealth and status the business had brought to them turned sour in his death. Tears rolled down from her tired eyes. She had not cried in a long time, and it hurt to start crying now, but she could not help it…

The door was suddenly opened in such a fashion that the air was thrown at her back. Her tears quickly stopped as she turned around to yell at the fool who had disobeyed her. But the person whom she was about to tell off was not the usual maid, but Kuchiki Byakuya.

"Kuchiki… Byakuya? What are you doing here?"

He noticed her red eyes, and the trails left by her earlier tears. They framed loveliness into her face he did not see before. _She looked quite pleasant to the eyes without clenching those jaws of hers together. _Commented quietly Byakuya.

"I saw you are certainly used to getting your way, Kuchiki-sama, even at somebody else's home" She continued.

"I'm your husband. It is needless to keep yourself from me"

"Future husband, Kuchiki-sama. You are not my husband, at least not yet. Until then, I shall keep myself from you as much as I would please"

His eyes sparked at her coarse words. But he retained on his face a calm expression, then gestured the maid to leave and shut the door. Ignoring her opposition, he stepped toward her.

"I came to tell you the date of the marriage. Though we would like it to be as soon as possible, we are also in consideration that you need a proper amount of time to mourn…"

"There is no need. –Helena retorted as she turned her back on him- Father's dying wish was for me to be your wife. So you can carry on with the wedding plans, just give me eighteen days to finish my arrangement of this House"

"You will marry me to please your father's wish?"

"I was a lousy daughter when he was alive, Kuchiki-sama, I am not planning on being one after his death!" _Not that it matters very much now. _

"I see. Well, in that case, you should take care of your health. It will not do for you to skip meals or sleep" Byakuya said this as fast as he could manage, careful to not let his tone sound like anything more than just polite concern.

"Oh? Such consideration? I did not expect that much from you even as a future husband, Kuchiki-sama"

"You… -The anger brew within him. But he reminded himself that Kuchiki Byakuya was not to get worked up cause of sheer mocking- I only concern for your health"

"I am quite capable of taking care of myself"

"I could see that" He responded sarcastically.

Silence answered him, and he felt slightly guilty for sounding rather harsh. He swiftly remembered how much pain it was to lose Hisana; indeed, just the mention of her lost stabbed into his heart. So he spoke again to Naoki Helena in a gentler way. This time, he was standing right behind her. So close he could smell her feminine scent.

"If not for my or your sake, then for your clan"

"I don't care!" She cried out. For a minute, it did not ring clear to him.

"What madness are you speaking? Certainly grief has had its way with you!" He took upon himself to impose some sense of responsibility into her. Though as he said those words, uneasiness leaked within him. He was acting as one of those elders he disliked for always barking orders.

"Get out of here!" Her arm swung back to the door direction, her face still hidden from him. "Get out! Get out!" She screamed, fearing he would see the hot tears about to creep out of her sockets. _Why had father wanted me to marry this man? Why had he made it his final wish? He left me no other way!_

"Such impudent! –Reaching his limit of courteous compassion, Byakuya took her arm roughly, then turned her facing him- Have you forgotten who you are, and who I am? Are you planning to strike your future husband, Naoki Helena?"

It was then that the image of her tears appeared visually to his eyes. She immediately lowered her eyes to the floor to hide them from him, but he could see the damp spots they made on his kimono, and he secretly cursed himself for saying the following:

"I…lost someone important to me once. It was painful as first but I came to accept it –Of course, this was a lie. Inside his mind, he could see himself searching for Hisana, as if she was still in this world, waiting to be discovered by him like the first time- it would not give your father any pleasure to know of your self-torturing for his death. Don't blame yourself for what happened, Lady Naoki"

It was the first time he had tried to sooth someone's sorrow in those thousands years he lived. He felt as awkward as a child putting on his first clothing. But it was enough. For in response of his words, Naoki Helena threw her arms around him, pressing not only her face, but also her entire weight onto him. The sound of her cries muffled in the silk fabric of his garments. A strange union was born between them in that single of moment, but somehow Byakuya had the feeling it would last to become more than just a strangeness trying to establish itself in his heart.

So he let her hug him as tight as she needed, but made no attempt to reciprocate.


	8. Chapter 8

According to tradition of aristocracy, the groom makes nightly visit to the bride's home until the birth of their first child or the death of the groom's parents. But his parents had passed away long ago, so as soon as they were done with the wedding ceremony, he would be living under the same roof with Naoki Helena as husband and wife.

"In the eighteen days of preparation, Byakuya-sama, please make nightly visit to the Naoki House. –Also, there is a courting period, in which, the groom makes visits of his bride-to-be's house every night until her parents accept his proposal. In Naoki's case, her father had blessed their union- Even though we got consent from the late Naoki-sama, it would appear more to favor if you do not skip the courting tradition"

He felt exhaustion in both his body and mind. Starting this very day, after finishing his shinigami duty, he had to stop by the Naoki House and endure a long hour of being infuriated by his future wife. Somehow, the thought of this ordeal left him in doubt of his previous decision to go along with everything put in his hands. So he walked as slowly as he could, hoping she would be sleeping when he came. Though he knew there was no chance she could be asleep at quarter to seven.

**Chapter 8: Courting**

Kuchiki Byakuya sat down on the lovely pillow sewn with gold threads, setting his sword aside, and waited for Helena to show up with that insolent stare of her that always irritated him so. But she did not appear; rather, the maid he saw yesterday entered the room, carrying a food tray again.

"Lady Naoki told us that Kuchiki-sama would be here after being relieved of his shinigami's duty every night. She always instructed us to make food since you would be hungry"

The maid placed the food tray before him. There must have been ten dishes on it, and the rice had a lovely smell. Every dish was place on a small plate, arranged in perfect harmony. Each plate was a work of art unto itself. Even the pair of chopsticks had engravings upon their legs in delicate calligraphy. The maid, after setting the food tray, put herself to his back left, about three yards away from him. She then took out a leaf fan and created light breezes with them. He could hear relaxing music from a foreign machine in the corner of the room. The door was left open for him to enjoy the perfect bonsai, along with a small bridge connecting the living quarters with the visiting quarters. He tried a small piece of the fish. _Spicy…yet sophisticated. _

He must have shown his delight in the food too well, for the maid instantly informed him:

"Lady Naoki specifically watched over the making of your meal, Kuchiki-sama. She told us you like the taste to be in harmony with one another. She also stresses on how much you enjoy spicy food, along with your love of landscape. She even flavored the fish herself!"

"Such intricate detail is of no interest to Kuchiki-sama, Komamura" Said Helena as she coming in the dining space. A food tray was immediately set up for her as well. Komamura Rei could see Naoki Helena was not pleased with her talking to Byakuya about the effort putting in preparation of his meal.

As her eyes lifted to see his, Byakuya could see they had restored their original color: a cold stale blue took its hold over those dark pupils. Her face, however, still paled in comparison to its normal healthy state; and there was hollowness peering down her milky neck.

"I appreciate that you prepared my meal. It tastes rather delicious" The last praise was not a lie. He had eaten lovelier meal before, usually by a cook of his choice. But it was the first time a noble woman had ever flavored his evening dish for him. This fact oddly touched him.

"There is no need for ingenuine flattery to save faces here, Kuchiki-sama. Please do not make this marriage any more of a mockery" She calmly put in plain words her thought on his compliment, as she raised a strip of sesame seaweed to her lips.

_This woman is a nuisance. _

They finished their meal in silence, not looking at one another. By the time they finished, the lanterns were lit.

For a while, they sat outside, drinking hot teas and looking at the garden, each pursuing their own thoughts. Byakuya remembered how he and Hisana had spent most of their evenings. He stayed outside the room while she sat alone on the sitting stones. He could not see her face at all but a musky glow wrapping her back. How painfully helpless he had felt!

Hisana carried with her a deep regret and sadness he could not sooth, and that part of her was always closed even to him. There was always this corner of her kept shut, no matter how hard he insisted to be let in. Maybe it was that melancholy side of her that drew him to her so. In her gloom, she appeared so graceful and free from impurities. Though he wished to see her smile without that sadness in her eyes just once, he had never attained that wish…

"What are you thinking about, Kuchiki-sama?"

Normally, he would dismiss her. But she would soon be his wife, who, like it or not, would still be a prominent part of his remaining life. Byakuya knew the relationship between them might not be love, but it must be kept in pleasantry. So he sighed.

"Just… about the person I lost"

"Is this person by any chance your late wife?"

"Yes" He answered dryly. He was sure she would make some stabbing comment, or asking more questions. But her voice was never raised again until he finally decided the visiting hour was over.

"Would you be in need of a carriage?"

"No, I prefer to walk. –He was about to leave, but something crossed his mind. So he mumbled out the last few words without giving her his expression- From now on, I will address you as Helena. Call me Byakuya-sama if you like"

…

For the next two weeks, he presented himself a frequent guest at the Naoki Manor. The servants had come to understand how he preferred his seat to face, and how much he demanded silence. Though he had to admit they already had a flawless idea of his taste. For instance, they brew his tea boiling hot. Since he never drank his tea right away, it often ended up too cold when he finally picked up the cup. This way, the tea would be just the right temperature for when he enjoyed it. They also put flowers around the plate, so the steam of hot tea carried with it a faint fragrance. The fountain's water was always running. The sound of dripping stream water had a relaxing effect upon him, plus the music chosen which was always non-vocal, with fluid instrumental resonance. Helena did not join him for most of the nights, justified that she had much to arrange around the House. But according to her servants, she still instructed the preparation of his meal personally. If truth be told, it was her order to boil his tea scorching hot, flowers to create nice scent, and relaxing fountain with running water. Helena always told her servants of how to serve him, in what distance should they be to him, all the intricate and smallest details he was not aware of himself.

Until this day, he had not a vague understanding of Naoki Helena's study to be his wife. It consisted of learning about the Kuchiki House, expected duties, and manners. But it also consisted of learning about him. Helena probably knew him better than she knew her own father, or herself. But that knowledge was not asked by her willingly, but forced upon her like water pouring into a well. It was ironic how a woman could know so well how to please a man, but instead choose to anger him every time they met.

But tonight was different. This was to be his last time entering this manor as a guest. Starting the day after tomorrow, he would be her husband. Even for nobility, his marriage was rather unusual. People rarely saw a union between two masters of two noble families before, so there were a lot of special arrangements to be made. They agreed that Naoki Helena would come to live in the Kuchiki House, though she was free to stay in her own manor during daylight. Being a head of a Noble House herself, Naoki Helena retained her independent power although she had a husband. If she was to spend the night at Naoki House, she must have her husband with her however. For one reason of this union was to produce an heir, the elders had made point clear that they expected no separate bedrooms like most aristocratic husbands and wives were accustomed to. All Byakuya felt during these meetings was anguish. The doubt of this union going peacefully quivered terribly in his heart. Suddenly, he longed for the war, and the freedom it would bring from domestic situation.

"Do not look so troubled, Byakuya-sama, for I will have to console you" Naoki Helena said sweetly, then pushing the teacup slightly in his direction. She seemed strangely calmed and had remained civilized for the last hour. _Just as soon as I thought she would leave me in peace._

The sky had fallen into deep blue velvet as he sipped his tea. The world had turned silent. He could feel their presences coming together in quiet, and the long road of this togetherness suddenly spread itself so wide beneath his eyes.

He sighed…


	9. Chapter 9

The wedding was not only grand, but festive. Every shinigami was present to witness the bonding ritual between two great noble Houses. The sky was that of a jade blue, with wisps of translucent clouds. The sakura's petals flied weightlessly across the air. Kuchiki Byakuya could not imagine a more beautiful day. Still his face appeared to be apathetic, only dignified acceptance could be seen on that smooth marble of his, leaving absurd emotions to the winds. The Kenseikan he wore today was more elaborate than the usual headpiece he wore daily. It was made in precious gold metal, polished for a platinum glow. His kimono was simple, but made out of the most expensive snow flower silk that took at least a century to be weaved into fabric.

The bridal kimono was much more magnificent. Its color was so pure, white seem pallid in comparison. The sleeves touched the floor along with the hems as she walked, but they seem to be floating atop the ground, instead of dragging on it. They said this kimono was sewn using threads from Royal Winter Bird's saliva. This gave the cloth its radiant texture and lasting novelty. It was the one kimono in Soul Society said to be just as alive as any soul who wore it. Byakuya had heard of it, but never seen it this up close.

Maybe it was because of the majestic wedding kimono that Naoki Helena appeared breathtaking on this day more than any previous day of her life. A big part of her hair was nicely crafted in intricate buns shone with luster, adorned by the rarest hair embellishments. Her lips were painted red, as her complexion illuminated. Beneath her lashes, those eyes vibrated like deep ponds mirroring the warmth and the beauty of the scenery. Her gestures were demure and elegant, and for an instant, Byakuya skipped his breath. It never occurred to him that Naoki Helena was indeed beautiful.

They stood side by side in the temple, as the crowd murmured in excitement and happiness for the newlyweds.

Deep inside Seireitei, standing on the tallest roof, Shuhei Hisagi fixated his gaze upon the ceremony. He could sense Naoki Helena's existence being carried further away from him. Like a no-man boat drifted needlessly from its safe harbor…

**Chapter 9: Kuchiki Naoki Helena**

It was not until the sake touched his lips that the truth, which seemed insignificant before, sunk heavily into his mind. By doing these rituals, he was binding himself to another being forever. Somehow, he had never thought there would be the day he would have to raise the sake cup again in this manner. But he drank it anyway, chucked whatever dismay possibly in his heart down his throat like a child drinking his medicine. He could feel the warmth hovering beneath his skin surface. It was comforting, though comfort was not enough to wash away this kind of uneasiness.

He felt a sharp of guilt toward them both, Hisana and Helena. He betrayed his love to Hisana, and fouled his union with Helena. He admitted that through the past few days, he had grown to tolerate, and perhaps enjoyed Helena's company from time to time. But he doubted he could give her his wholeness like with Hisana. The fact remained that they did not love one another. And this marriage was essentially created for the benefit of both Houses.

…

Kuchiki Byakuya was shown to the chamber prepared for them after his bath. The room was nicely lit and scented. A small stair from the moon door, which opened like two eclipses, led him to a spacious floor with fresh tatami mats. They were usually lined with black cotton, but in his house, the mats were always lined with silk. For this special night, the tatami mats were edged in red brocaded silk. There was a small bathroom connected to the chamber, also a small garden. To the left of the room was a string bell to ring for services. The space was spared but a luxurious futon in the center. The futon was clearly big enough for four people, but it was to be used only by Kuchiki Byakuya and his bride. Looking at it sent a shot of heat down his spine, up his throat, and to his forehead.

He noticed she was already there, kneeling on the right side of the futon. Her cheeks were flushed, and he could see the anxiety trembling inside her._Well, at least we both feel the same way. _

She wore a white sleeping kimono just like his. The fabric was so thin he could see her under robe and the curves of her body. Despite being rather tall and slim, one could see her womanly shape after all the layers of garments had been shed. Her hair was at its longest and waviest again. A tiny portion of them was kept high aback on top of her head with a hairstick. The lipstick that stained her lips was gone. But somehow she still looked rather lovely. _Like an innocent rabbit about to be sacrificed. _He remarked.

He stepped to the futon and kneeled at its left. For a while they just kneeled there, staring at one another, not speaking or moving. They were both waiting for an intervene that never promised itself to come. Never had their marriage made clearer to their spirits than now, like an olive at the bottom of a cocktail glass when all martinis had been drained.

Helena fixed her eyes on Byakuya, _how far his expression was from nervousness_. The Kenseikan was gone from his head, leaving his hair to its natural state. _He looks just like a young man! _She surprisingly noted._His face even looks kind. _She had expected Kuchiki Byakuya to continue that cold parade of his and give orders. But kneeling before her was just a man, waiting patiently for his bride. Somehow it made her laugh.

The chirpy sound of her laugh startled Byakuya, who could not find a less dire situation anywhere else, let alone laugh. He made a noise in his throat, and his eyes widened. But then he chose silence, and looked down at the futon.

Helena shifted onto the futon. Her back was at a square angle to the floor, her legs were aligned. Byakuya could feel his heart jumping beats. _It had started. The Dance of Shin-zen Shiki._

Turning her head in the opposite direction of her husband, this gesture suggested the unspoiled nature of the bride. She was so pure she had to coil shyly in presence of another man in her bedchamber. Helena did this with a smirk on her lips, not a usual frightening quiver. Her chin touched her right shoulder. She then proceeded to lift her left arm gracefully until it reached shoulder high. Next, holding out her hand with the palm face down to Byakuya, it meant invitation to join her in their bed.

Byakuya, as soon as he saw her tiny hand giving itself to his direction, sat with one of his leg up. He remembered his coming of age, and along with the shinigami vigorous training, he had to learn the Shin-zen Shiki Dance, which according to him was a waste of time. Consider Hisana was not familiar with this formal dance reserved mainly for nobility. This was his first time putting the dance into use. And at the side of Helena, he was never made more aware of the subtlety of this aristocratic dance. He caught her raising arm by the wrist, and gently turned it over clockwise. The air shook as the holly dance took place. Silence transformed into music, as Naoki Helena and Kuchiki Byakuya performing their ancient traditions.

With the most charming flow of movement, supposedly to represent the blessing wind, Helena's right hand inched up the left sleeve of her kimono, revealing the bare flesh of her left under arm, from wrist to elbow. The silky fabric of her sleeve ran on her milky skin like spring water across white petals. Byakuya stopped for a moment, raising his gray eyes to her face, but he could not find it, for she still turned away from him. In his insanity, he almost let out a plead to cease the dance. The inside of him screamed. But he could see, when the panic had calmed, that he had made a bidding he could not break. He had made vowed with this woman. He had vowed to honor and cherish her as his wife, and it was never to be broken. He drowned out the pleading voice of his heart. Only the rigidity of his existence was present to tell him: _There is no turning back._

So he lowered his head to her wrist, warming it with his breath, taking in her scent, then placed his tranquil lips upon her skin. This kiss, the most prominent kiss of the whole dance, meant: I am most happy to receive your invitation, which I shall most humbly accept with my whole heart! He could feel a slight jerk from her, and depicted it as an opposition to the intimacy.

_His lips are…soft and warm. _Helena could feel her chest choking. Her smirk vanished. An involuntary memory of some shaded pond came to her, but quickly diminished.

The dance moved into the final act. The groom put himself closer to his bride that her wrist was now placed on his kneeling thigh. Then, with his other arm, he reached out to her right cheek, positioned tenderly his fingers a bit under her ear, and slowly rotated her hidden face to him. His hand was the symbol of the first light descending upon her, a jewel never been seen inside its velvet box.

As her features came into plain view, her eyelash fluttered. Naoki Helena was not very good at this portion of the program, so she decided to skip it, and directed her eyes to his, just the way Byakuya hated it. Her stare, after they met his, meant she was ready to give herself to him. Their first kiss signified their commitment to one another as husband and wife, tonight, and the nights after for the rest of their lives. Forever.

And they kissed…

As the kiss went on, the surrounding faded into hazel. The newlywed was no longer at formal distance, and the stance was no longer of any resemblances of the Shin-zen Shiki Dance. Byakuya kissed Helena dutifully, free from the enjoyment of his body or his mind. Somehow, this kind of barrier satisfied his troubled heart, and silenced all roaring seas.

He reached up to her hairstick, and felt her fingers closed in on his. This physical contact astonished enough for him to break their connection, and for the first time tonight, looked into her eyes without some sort of decoy. His eyebrows came together in a questioning manner. _Does she want me to stop? Surely she opposes this. _As his mind ran ahead, out of his control, Byakuya convinced himself that Naoki Helena was finally put to her wit's end. He waited, and waited for her confirmation. Then, after a seemingly very long moment, Helena touched her other hand on his polished cheek solemnly and most tenderly.

"Hate me tomorrow, and everyday after that, -His bride requested humbly- but please love me tonight"

Byakuya gazed into those eyes who once had denied their own sincerity, and found them breaking frantically. He thought for a flash that he was falling into the utmost deepest of her being, and its unbearable intensity sent him spiraling down to the bottom. This force captivated him, and he could feel the most wonderful nothingness embraced his throbbing and contradicting continuation. The trail ceased on its route…

_Very well. _He kissed her again on her request. _I shall love you tonight… _

…


	10. Chapter 10

She woke up to find out Byakuya, her husband, had already risen. For a time, she stared at the dent settled upon the pillow, and then laid her hand on it to discover the soft fabric was still warm. _He really was here. Sleeping next to me._

The recollection of last night was blurry, but persistent. It was phantom of scent and sensation one cannot quite catch. _As if the night was carried on a butterfly's wings._

Her thought was cut off when Kuchiki Byakuya reappeared from the bathing room, fully dressed in his daily kimono. He wore a rather grim expression, now that the Kenseikan was back on his hair. He glanced at her, but did not speak any greeting. An invisible wall had fallen again, and the tension between them grew even more intolerable.

"I called for a maid to help you get ready. –He moved up the stair- there is someone to whom I want to introduce you"

With this announcement, Kuchiki Byakuya shut the doors, and vanished from Helena's sight.

"Such a hateful man!" She commented aloud.

**Chapter 10: Kuchiki Rukia**

The Kuchiki manor was big enough so that each member could live out their days without bumping into one another. Even relatives could spend two years or so without eating one meal together. Kuchiki Rukia did not have this fortune. Her living quarters, mysterious, were right next to her brother's. So everyday she would wake up, get ready, and walk with him to work. Those mornings were always heavy, she thought. _I could only see his back. _

Though her brother's affection for her had been made clear, Rukia could not help but feel the same heaviness every time she was to be with Nii-sama. She could never cease to expect her poor manners were displeasing him. The violet in her eyes got darker whenever this thought crossed her mind.

Due to her injuries, Rukia escaped the morning uncomfortable walks for a while. She spent the time catching up with readings, and viewing the scenery. Renji came visiting her almost everyday, but he could not stay for long since Byakuya forbid anyone to disturb her rest. But nevertheless he still came diligently, and her heart rang every time he did. She would ask him how Ichigo was doing, how her friends in the living world were enjoying their normal routines. In fact, that was what most their conversations consisted of, until she heard the news of Nii-sama getting a new wife.

She chuckled, calling to mind the image of Renji that day. He was panicking, as she could tell. And in his unrefined tone, he told her of the purpose of the ball. It did not surprise her really, just caused a slight twist.

She did not make an appearance at the ball, or speak with his bride at the wedding ceremony, using her health as an excuse. But the truth was that she did not want to face them both together. She felt a bit of dismay with this marriage, but it troubled as to she couldn't know the reason to this dismay.

_How could I be opposing this? Surely Nii-sama would remarry someday._ Kuchiki Rukia reminded herself that she had never known her own sister, Byakuya's late wife. Hence, it was illogical for her to feel angry that someone else had filled Kuchiki Hisana's position.

_Someone of nobility._

Realization dawned on Rukia so coarsely its sound resembled somewhat of a cracked egg. Despite being named Kuchiki, Rukia had never forgotten her humble upbringing. It was always hard staring into her brother's back, thinking how different they were, in both status and level. _A noble woman._

Kind words were not spoken to her about Naoki Helena. In fact, few people could describe Naoki Helena as kind or pleasant. She was always under the impression that Naoki Helena was the female Byakuya, with emotionless stares and rarely commented on anything, or just plainly found everything beneath her care.

"Rukia-sama, Byakuya-sama is waiting for you in the guest room with Helena-sama. He requests you to be your best"

She knew this was code for _this is damn important. So change your plain kimono into something more appropriate. _So she got up from her spot, and hurriedly changed into a deep violet kimono with white curvy lines on the sleeves. Rukia took a glance of herself in the mirror. Despite how the kimono fitted her, she tugged and pulled, sighed as to how her skin still did not make peace with this nice material. The girl in the mirror seemed to ask her why she appeared to be in misery.

"Frankly, I don't know why" Something had been bugging Rukia for a week. _A bad, bad intuition_. She felt something was going wrong. But she could not find out what or whom.

…

"Good morning, Nii-sama, Nee-sama" Bowed Rukia. When she looked up, her brother was sitting still, not making any gesture to acknowledge her greeting. Instead, his pupil steered toward the direction of the woman next to him. Disapproval merged from his glare.

Normally, no wife, even if she were from nobility, would be so bold as to arrange her seat too close to her husband. This was frowned upon, since it was important that the wife acknowledge the role of her husband as the decision maker in the House. Apparently, Kuchiki Naoki Helena was not willing to forgone her own prestigious position. Rukia noticed how Naoki's pillow was leveled to her brother's, and there were two tea tables for each of them instead of only one in front of Nii-sama.

Seeing how little effect his disapproval got on his new wife, Byakuya returned his gaze to the small girl in front of him. He quickly judged her well being, as well as her manners. A smile bloomed inside him, noticing her healthy complexion. But despite his interior tenderness, the mouth of Kuchiki Byakuya remained stale.

"Rukia, this is my new wife, Kuchiki Naoki Helena"

Rukia bowed to her; and just like Byakuya, Helena disregarded Rukia's gracious bow as the girl stole a look at her brother's new wife. The face was noble indeed; with features so refined you could draw only smoothness from them. _A severe tranquility_. Rukia observed. The thing most striking about her was probably her hair. _So dark and wavy. Though part of them was kept in an updo with a hairstick_. Rukia spotted how simple Naoki fashioned herself. Her adornments were harmonic, but there were so few of them on her. The kimono she wore was nothing worth roaring about. Its brocades included of pinkish threads in shapes of tiny snowbells, although Rukia found out much later that each of Naoki's casual kimonos was actually worth five years of a vice-captain's salary due to its precious fabric which was said to be light as air, impossible to damage, yet shield the body from flames, heat, and coldness.

_She is rather plain looking. _Rukia handed down her verdict of the woman in front of her. As if gotten aware of her remark, Naoki's eyes suddenly put themselves in the center of Rukia's violet irises with such abruptness they caused her to jerk back mentally.

"I heard you were injured in the Ryoka incident. How is your health now?" Rukia felt as if it was a command, not a concerning question that just escaped Helena's lips. She could sense no abnormal or formidable reiatsu from this woman in front of her, but just the severity of her speech caught Rukia in a suppressing state.

"My health is quickly recovering, it is not worth your concern, Nee-sama"

"It is not. –Helena confirmed casually- but your brother definitely is concerned about you, Rukia. Therefore, as his wife, I also concern about your well-being"

_What kind of woman is this? _The knots in her stomach started to tie themselves again. She quickly reviewed her sentence to find any fault in it, but there was none. She worded everything in perfect manners._It seems like no matter what I say, I will always offend someone._Rukia noticed how Kuchiki Naoki Helena had referred to herself as Nii-sama's wife, not her sister-in-law. Also, she had made clear that her concern for Rukia was nothing more than just one of her duties to her husband.

Rukia bowed to Helena, but withhold any courteous words she did not mean to please the cold woman. She glanced at her brother's face, searching for any tiny gesture of disapproval. But Kuchiki Byakuya merely watched the space danced before him; the chances were that what just happened did not even make it way to his attention. _That's right. Nii-sama surely does not concern himself with such trivial matters._

Turned to Byakuya, Helena suggested:

"Byakuya-sama, we should have Rukia for dinner tonight"

To Rukia's dismay, Kuchiki Byakuya made an agreeing sound to Helena's request, and then told her she could excuse herself. Unable to get out of the ominous invitation, Rukia thanked her sister-in-law for the offer and withdrew to her room.

Rising up from his seat, Byakuya took a quick scan of his new wife's face. She appeared to be neither displeased nor satisfied. In fact, she did not seem to care for this meeting at all. They walked back to the Byakuya's quarters in silence. He was supposedly relieved of his duty for two weeks, but Byakuya insisted that such formal consideration was unnecessary for we were in preparation for war. In the end, Yamamoto had convinced him to at least spend three days after his wedding off, or he would have Byakuya relieved for even more than the traditional fourteen days. Helena had not made a comment on his decision, and he doubted she would.

…

"You have not addressed me directly once all morning, is there something on your mind, Byakuya-sama?" asked Helena.

He stopped at the end of her question.

"I am not in the mood for conversation" _Why she has to choose a time when either I am walking or thinking of something else to juvenile me with her questions?_

"You are never in the mood for interaction with anyone. –She scolded at him. Then closing the space between them, her voice lowered softly- about last night…"

_Last night? She wants to talk about last night? _Last night was one subject he never wanted to remember, let alone discuss. He knew it was foolish to be persuaded by her. He cursed at his weakness to take her on her request last night. In a minute, everything he thought erased came squashing back despite his refusal.

…

_His lips burnt the coolness of her skin, and as he spared a look into her eyes, they stared back at him in such a way that his whole being seemed to take flight in the intensity of moments. So he kissed her again, deeply, to feel her melted into his embrace. The air grew urgent…_

_Outside, the old housekeeper dismissed all servants who were waiting on the side of the chamber in case their masters needed any services. The old woman was not unfamiliar with the task herself, but she did not trust the foolish young maids would keep their mouths shut about what they were to witness tonight. So she told all of them to wait in the servant quarter for any bell ringing while she alone sat outside the chamber. _

…

_Their nakedness molded together like clay on hot pottery spinning top, heating up the smoldering air. Byakuya closed his eyes like he intended to. He wanted only blackness for the image of Naoki Helena in his bed tonight. He needed to remove at least one vital part, any vital part, of this night from his memory. So it would be incomplete, unwhole; henceforth, it would not violate, or have enough qualification to, the wedding night he had shared with his beloved Hisana._

_But his intention turned useless. For Naoki Helena placed her soft lips on his closed eyelids, and breathed upon them her most tenderness. Byakuya opened his eyes to the dark pools before him, realized that the last of his resistance had vanished, like the last of silver light disappeared beneath the many thick layers of deep water._

…

_With her dull eyes, she could still see the warm candlelight flickering inside, along with the moving silhouette of her master and his bride. The shivering sound of flesh, she could hear faintly through her low-hearing ears. This housekeeper, who had died for her lover in the real world, could feel the same energy that she had felt in that past life of her roaring upward tonight. And she could feel the destiny wheel of this House rolling forward again. So she put her hands folded in her lap, and said good prayers._

…


	11. Chapter 11

"About last night… I…"

The sakura branches were shaking, but he hadn't noticed. Maybe it was because the blossoms somehow clung to the dry wood, refusing to detach. There was not a single petal to blush the air. The morning remained a white color. Kuchiki Naoki Helena stood there, motionless, breathing in and out. He waited, and waited, but all he got was a long gaze on the contour of his face.

"I should get dinner ready since your sister is coming" She uttered those words before walking passed him, not touching even his sleeve. He stood there for a moment longer then resumed his steps toward the memorial quarter._You are calling. _Noted Byakuya in the absence of pinkish flakes.

_I'm coming, Hisana…_

**Chapter 11: For Your Eyes**

"Helena-san, congratulations!" Ukitake took the hand of the woman in front of him, not noticing the slight jerk of her shoulder. He proceeded to place her palm upon his chest, and filled up his lungs in one single draw of air.

"Helena-san, how am I doing?"

…

"_Helena-san, how am I doing?" A man, his hair all white, sat inside his office behind a mountain of papers. Placed upon his chest was a tiny delicate hand of a young girl with incredibly dark eyes. _

"_Breathe!" The young girl commanded. Despite her small frame, her voice carried out clear and resolute. Jushiro Ukitake took a deep breath at her request. He was very careful to avoid laughing. _

_If I were to laugh during these weekly examinations, she would be terribly upset._

_The young girl took her hand back to her side after listening intently to his lungs. Her voice rang again._

"_Your lungs appear to be functioning quite alright. You will get better if you take your medicine regularly, Jushiro-san"_

_He gave her a kind smile in agreement. Of course he knew his illness would not go away even with the medicine, but for now he wanted to see her dark eyes sparkled. After all, she was his little physician, responsible for his health inspection, and recommended by Unohana-Taichou. Jushiro chuckled while watching her drinking her tea in such perfect manner. The young girl before him was no ordinary girl. She was Naoki Helena, the only daughter of the Great Hawk Hokunara, and the sole heir of the Naoki Noble Clan. With her mother gone, Naoki Helena was not only Naoki Helena but also the Lady of the Naoki House. And she was just that. Her kimonos were never in the bright colors with decorations like what young girls usually wore. They were simple and severe. Her face wore a rather cool smooth expression. And her eyes… _

"_I can see the universe in your eyes, Helena-san. You have extraordinary eyes!" He said._

"_Do you think Byakuya-sama will like them?" She asked back._

"_I'm sure he will like them very much!" At his response, the young girl drifted into the daydream she often had of her betrothed. She almost spilled her tea when he continued. "Aren't you going to meet him today? Are you excited?"_

_Naoki Helena blushed at his questions. Her voice grew small and delicate. "Uh… I'm not meeting him. My dad is taking me to the academy so I could see the school, and… well… maybe take a look at him"_

"_Ahh, what a pity! Byakuya-kun would have been pleased to see those eyes of yours, Helena-san" At this statement, the young girl's eyes widened._

"_Jushiro-san, what kind of person is Kuchiki Byakuya? Will he like me as much as you and Retsu-san do?"_

"_What kind of person is Byakuya-kun? Let see… Byakuya-kun tends to keep to himself. It took me a while to get him to talk to me. But you must not let this discourage you, Helena-san, you and Byakuya-kun will get married someday right?"_

"_But how would I know if he likes me or not?"  
_

_The white hair man turned his body to face the young girl in front of him, took her tiny hand, and then put it upon his chest again, this time against his heart._

"_Listen to my heart, Helena-san, it says that I like you very much. –The young girl nodded- Listen to his heart, Helena-san, it will tell you how much you mean to him"_

"_I like you and Retsu-san very much, Jushiro-san" The girl took his hand and placed it upon the silky fabric of her kimono._

_He smiled as he saw the corner of her lips slightly curved at last._

…

"I'm no longer a little girl, Ukitake-Taichou" Kuchiki Naoki Helena removed her hand from the 13th squad captain's uniform. She could see his brows coming together, and a cloud crossing over his pupils. Her inside inflated with guilt, but still she withdrew her hand.

"Ah… but I miss those weekly examinations you gave me, Helena-san. Unohana-Taichou said you did them just as well as she did. She said I should listen to you"

"That was then, Ukitake-Taichou"

"It's Jushiro-san, Helena-san. And where is Captain Kuchiki? I would like to congratulate him as well"

"He left after introducing me to his sister. I do not have knowledge of his whereabouts"

Jushiro Ukitake raised his teacup, and his eyebrows.

"Neither of us desired this union, Uki… Jushiro-san. –Helena quickly explained- that man dislikes me as much as I despise him"

"I don't think that is the case, Helena-san. –He quietly sipped his tea and complimented the subtle hint of chamomile ginger- Kuchiki Taichou likes you very much, more so than he realizes"

…

"_I'm to be married to the heir of the Kuchiki Clan?"_

_The sakura was blooming. Its petals carpeted the stone path. Naoki Hokunara liked his garden especially in spring. He remembered each plant he had planted here. How he had insisted to construct the fountain himself. His daughter seemed to inherit this interest of gardening from him. She proved to be just as much in love with the garden as he was at the tender age of 90. _

"_Yes. His name is Kuchiki Byakuya" _

"_Does he like trees?" The little girl asked her father as she reached to the bough closet to her height, caressing its rough skin like a dear pet._

"_I don't know. –The man answered his daughter honestly- But I know he is very handsome, and brilliant"_

"_Hisagi is handsome and brilliant too" At the mention of the boy's name, her father flinched. This gesture did not make it to Helena's attention. "Hisagi also likes trees. And I like him!"_

_Naoki Hokunara chuckled at the innocence of his daughter. How could he explain to his precious daughter that the position of Kuchiki Byakuya in her life would be much more than that of a friend?_

"_Helena… Hisagi-kun is your friend, but Kuchiki Byakuya is your betrothed. –He could see the puzzled look in her dark eyes- He will protect you at the risk of his own life. He will find you more beautiful than all trees, all flowers, and all seasons combined. He will like you best out of all people in this world. In return, Helena, you will do the same to him"_

…

"Jushiro-san, you are just like my father" With this comment, Naoki Helena dropped her eyes into the hot liquid inside her cup. She could swear there was a glint of a pair of golden eyes.

"But you are wrong. Byakuya-sama and I are merely following the wish of our clans"

"How alike you both are!" Ukitake chuckled and drank the last of his tea. Helena's eyes narrowed at his comment.

"Anyway, I should make a quick visit to my subordinate. How is her health?" He stood up from the pillow, and picked up his katana.

"Aside from the fact that she seems to reject my presence like her brother, I say her health has recovered quite nicely"

…

The room was spared of all furniture but a tall wooden closet against the back wall. It was nicely lit with a special kind of stone that was built into the structure. This room was built fifty years ago to Kuchiki Byakuya's own manor. For many years it had remained the one room in his place that was untouched by anyone but himself. Today he placed his foot onto its floor and instantly transcend to another world.

"Good morning, Hisana." Byakuya opened the doors of the closet, revealing an altar inside. He tenderly lighted an incense stick as he always had everyday for the past fifty years, and then gazed into the eyes of the woman he loved.

…

"_Would you like to light an incense stick?" _

_He was standing needlessly among the shadow of falling leaves. Before him was the altar for the fallen shinigamies. He was thinking to himself of a name. A name he would not mention or hear of again. A name he had extinguished with his own sword. Should he be paying respect to a soul he had vanquished? _

_The girl basically forced into his palm the incense stick and proceeded to light it for him. He shuddered by the foreignness of being touched by someone. His eyes fell on her, and the violet of her eyes took him far away from the altar, far away from the world as he knew it._

…

"Hisana, Rukia has recovered from her injuries. Are you glad?"

The inside of him cried. The wheel that had stopped the day she departed from him was moving again with the arrival of Naoki Helena. Its motion carried him further and further away from the life he had shared with Hisana. _If we could not go forward together, Hisana, could we at least stay forever in this dream?_

He could hear her voice ringing among the silence of his soul. He could feel the warmth of her embrace. He could see the violet gleam of her eyes. And he could see a startling pair of dark eyes rising from the depth. _Naoki Helena. _Panic rapidly formed itself inside him. _Get out. Get out. You have no place here._

"Byakuya-sama, dinner is waiting."

"Inform everyone in the mansion that this room shall remain inadmissible to my new wife. She is not to know of its existence, or to come near it. Am I clear?"

He disappeared after giving out his order, not lingered long enough to hear the "Yes, Byakuya-sama" that escaped from the lips of the old housekeeper.

…

The dinner went smoothly. Rukia kept her news quiet until the tea was served. She then broke the news that she was called back to duty in the real world due to some problem concerned Kurosaki Ichigo and the Arrancar. The name of the orange hair boy brought his jaws together. The thought of his sister risking her life for that insolent reckless fool troubled him. But he took one look at her and knew there was nothing he could do to discourage her from the mission. Her stare resembled his when he had pushed through all oppositions to marry Hisana.

So he gave her permission to go, too engrossed in his thoughts to notice his new wife's intent look on him.


	12. Chapter 12

"If it troubles you so much to let her go, maybe you should do something about it." Naoki Helena said after a while of silence.

The sky had dyed itself blue velvet with sprinkles of stars. It shaped into a dome, shielding them from a future darker still. They were sitting in the tearoom. The wind caressed their noble faces while the warm light of lanterns polished them into marble statues.

"With your influence, it would not be much trouble to take her out of the mission, or include yourself in it"

"Any member of the Kuchiki Clan would be honored to carry out their shinigami's duties. It's ridiculous to think I am troubled by it" Not looking at his companion, Byakuya lifted his teacup and chucked down his throat a big gulf.

"Forgive me to have assumed you are troubled– After a pause, she added- I just never know Byakuya-sama enjoys drinking tea that sits cold in his cup"

Her comment caught his attention. Suddenly he became terribly aware of the cold liquid that just made its way down his throat. _Urgh… _The tea had sat for so long that its fragrance and flavor grew stale. His mouth gestured disgust and he quickly dumped out the remaining portion. He held his cup sideway awkwardly for a minute, expecting it to be filled up, but his new wife made no such attempt. Byakuya sighed.

"My sister… cares deeply about this human boy. Even if I had forbidden her to go, she would have gone anyway" At his confession, Naoki Helena picked up the teapot.

When she was done pouring, their eyes met for the first time that day; and it shuddered them both. The glow of lantern lights descended inside Byakuya's teacup and caused the liquid to shimmer. Kuchiki Byakuya straightened out, and hurriedly sipped his tea. His eyes slid downward, as the image of Helena's smile slipped from his view.

**Chapter 12: Hands**

"Horomaru-sama requests a word with Kuchiki First Lady, Helena-sama" Rei informed her as she was going over the incentive report. If Horomaru did not happen to be the most influential elder of the Kuchiki Clan, she would have dismissed him; but he happened to be one, so she reluctantly put aside her work and made her way to the guest's quarter.

Helena felt a revulsion attacking her as soon as she set eyes upon the man. Though she had heard her father mentioning him, she had never had the misfortune of having to face him. His sight was terrifying. He was old, but not in a reassuring or wise way like Captain Yamamoto. Instead, it felt more like violence and malice that had sprung its roots deep and wide. His veins and skin seemed to dye in that ugly color as well.

"I'm sorry to have introduced myself so late, my Lady" She knew that he was bound to speak respectfully to her due to their positions, but his reiatsu proved a different attitude. It was hovering around her like a great serpent. As he addressed her title, she could feel it hissing at her neck. So she coldly said:

"I shall forgive your delay if you tell me now why do you need to speak with me"

Her cool tone invoked more threatening reiatsu from Horomaru, and she could feel her diaphragm expanding in an effort to grasp more air. She was still standing not far from the entrance, but resisted the urge to turn away and back out. _This man,_ she remembered, _was the one who denounced the Naoki name. _So Helena held her head high, despite the feeling of an enormous serpent baring its fangs toward her.

"Only to inform you of the heavy responsibility of being Kuchiki First Lady" His eyes narrowed at her insolent straight neck, _which I can break as easily as a twig. _

"I have been Naoki First Lady for a long time. I assume being Kuchiki's First Lady is not so much different"

The comparison between Naoki clan and Kuchiki clan clearly upset the oldest elder of the Kuchiki counsel. In respond to this comment, Horomaru stiffed his shoulder and immediately she felt an overwhelming pressure upon the limbs and nerves of her body. Sweat appeared on her temples as she willed herself to stand up straight. _What is he trying to… _The air inside her lungs got thinner by the second. The shield she put up with her own reiatsu cracked, and the full force of Horomaru's power closed around her like a coffin. Tremors spread throughout her as she could feel her knees starting to fold. A malicious smile appeared on Horomaru's corner as he felt the crush of Naoki Helena's resistance.

Just when the pressure became unbearable, and her stance was on the verge of breaking apart, Helena felt someone's hand against her back, its fingers closed around her waist, and quickly supported her failing posture. _Byakuya…_Using his own reiatsu, Byakuya drew a barrier shielding his new wife from the threatening spirit that filled the room. He tightened his grip on her as he felt the shivers running down her spine. Horomaru's eyes glared up at the sight of Kuchiki's 28th Headmaster, his teeth clenched to see the woman before him still standing.

The pressure eased up. Helena could feel the protection offered by Byakuya's touch and spiritual power, and it made her oddly… happy. Byakuya took a glance at his new wife, noted how her limbs had regained their strength, and then quickly dropped his hand from around her waist, though he still continued to wield the spiritual shield around her.

"I learnt you wanted a word with Helena, Horomaru-Dono?" He asked as he moved in front of her.

"Merely to introduce myself to Kuchiki First Lady, Byakuya-sama" Horomaru nodded. His tone implied otherwise.

"I see. –The gray stare gleamed- it is rather rare for Horomaru-Dono to introduce himself to anyone personally. You can understand why I grew curious"

Helena directed her widened eyes toward Byakuya's face. He had just explained the reason he appeared here in the most casual and logical way, curiosity. At his reply, Horomaru laughed. She flinched at the clashing sound of his laugh. _He is a detestable man. _

"Consider I forgot to greet Hisana-sama when you married her, it would be terrible of me to fail to introduce myself personally this time to Helena-sama"

The mention of Hisana's name cut his heart. There was a clash in the air between his reiatsu and Horomaru's. Byakuya looked at the man before him, and realized how much he found him unfavorable. Naoki Helena watched as she recalled the sorrow and the terrible longing that carried such intensity and sincerity in his apathetic gray eyes on that one late night among the blooming sakuras. She recalled how those eyes seemed to long for someone, someone who was far and far away. _So it was his late wife… _It occurred to her that this woman whose name still had such powerful effect on Kuchiki Byakuya was the reason her early engagement was called off. _She caused the disgrace of the name Naoki… _

Seeing how the dark cloud had settled, Horomaru stood up from his seat, and quickly renounced his visit. Byakuya remained in the room, stared needlessly into space; his shadow cast a long figure on the tatami mats. Helena whispered her gratitude, but it did not heed its way to his ears. Instead, he stayed motionless, choked up in the invisible past. _I was married once. I was happy once. _He recalled. _She was with me once. Hisana was my wife once. And I betrayed her. I betrayed her._

Naoki Helena stared at the back of Kuchiki Byakuya, her husband, unable to condemn him. The disgrace of the Naoki mattered little to her right now, for all she could see was the pair of gray eyes that night, the pair of eyes that burnt with sincerity, pain, and longing. She felt her heart beating like a dying bird again. _Byakuya…_

He sensed the weight of another soul pressing against his back, and felt oddly comforted as two delicate hands placing themselves on his chest, their warmth sipping through the layers of his kimono. Byakuya felt his pain dying down in tenderness of the offered consolation. Unconsciously, he moved up one hand and interweaved his own fingers with the soft fingers already on his breast. They both stretched out in the newness of intimacy, and then finally closed into each other like two snowmen melting into one. Byakuya inhaled deeply…

The hand that intertwined with his was pleasant to the touch. He gently opened it like a petal to discover the fair skin without any roughness. His gray eyes gazed intently at the beautiful petal on his palm.

_Flawless... And so silky... A hand that belongs to nobility... Nobility…_

It dawned on him like thunder hitting metal pole. In panic, he promptly tore himself from the embrace of Naoki Helena. His hand detached itself from hers violently. His whole body screamed in protest of the sudden separation. The shock of his action threw her off balance. But as she regained her poise, Naoki Helena looked questioningly into the pair of gray eyes before her, and the returning glare pierced through her heart, body, and soul with its cold detest.

He was angry, horribly angry. He had no idea to whom his anger was directed to, himself or the woman before him. Her warmth, her scent, the sensation of her touch lingered on his kimono, and his flesh, as well as imprinted on the surface of his soul. He detested it. He cursed himself for finding comfort in it. He could feel his inside frantically ripping apart this print she left, only to growl in defeat. He looked at her, at the unruly long waves that framed her face, at the willowy figure covered in alabaster skin, at the noble features much like his own, and at the startling darkness of her pupils that resembled the universe. And he felt loath.

_Is she a disease? A virus? Why is her existence eating its way into mine? _He underwent a surge of defensive alertness he only sensed in battles. The woman in front of him turned into his most dangerous and irritating enemy, for she was one that he could not erase.

"Don't!" Byakuya snarled as Naoki Helena took one step closer to him "Do not move any closer to me!"

At the sound of his words, her look moved from the state of confusion to that of iciness. Putting both her hands to her side, Naoki Helena coldly responded:

"Don't flatter yourself, Byakuya-sama"

A dreadful silence fell between them. Byakuya flash-stepped himself from the room, vanished from Naoki Helena's view. Alone, Helena raised the hand that still burnt from his touch and brought it inches from her face. She examined it for a while, then said:

"You are wrong after all, Jushiro-san, just like my father"

Somehow this victory did not bring her satisfaction, but a feeling of melancholy. She put the back of her hand, that on which Byakuya's touch lingered, against her cheeks and thought of her husband's undying love for his late wife.

_So he is indeed capable of loving someone. _She thought, and found herself pondering of the name Kuchiki Hisana.


	13. Chapter 13

"Have we stocked up on the spiritual roots?"

"Yes, Helena-sama."

The office was a plain room without the slightest decoration. In it there were a huge shelf for files, one desk, and a few chairs. There was no window, no fresh air, no artifact, absolutely nothing for the manager to fix his attention on except for the woman sitting behind the desk who appeared to be in a sourer mood than usual. He thought of asking her permission to put up some calligraphy works, or perhaps a bonsai, maybe a window? But then he remembered that this office was designed by no other than Naoki Helena herself. It appeared that Lady Naoki, who was famous for her taste in décor and gardening, somehow wanted this room to be the cold, stale, metal box it was.

"Why are we only taking in ten shipments of the spiritual roots? I thought there were fifteen in transit?"

"I'm so sorry Helena-sama. Transportation between dimensions is no longer as safe and stable, we lost several cargoes due to some complication…"

"Enough. –She cut him off- it just means we need better-trained transporters. The Medical Lab put down an order of seven shipments, which means we are left with only three. You do know the demand for spiritual roots is high, especially around this time?"

"Ye...es, I know, my Lady. In fact, I sent out another request for the plantation…"

"Request? Spiritual roots are of highest quality in their first pick. If you send a request now, we will probably get second pick roots when we come there. Prepare a team of transporters and send them there right now." She said without looking at him, busying punching down numbers.

"Well, the owner of the plantation does not like it…"

"Oh?" Naoki Helena looked at her manager right in his pupils. Her stare was unwavering, and merciless. The already tiny man became even tinier still.

"We pay him handsomely enough for our demand. Beside, –She stopped punching the calculator now, and casually addressed her manager- if we hadn't lost five cargoes because of bad transportation, we would not have to settle for this option, right?"

"I'll be careful next time, Helena-sama" He bowed as to avoid her stare.

"This time, Koramura-san, THIS time" She returned to punching numbers as the few last words marching out of her mouth.

**Chapter 13: Kuchiki Hisana**

He watched from a distance as his sister departing along with his lieutenant. She had come to say goodbye in the morning, and like always, he did not have the strength to look at her, afraid he would take back his permission and keep her safely home. _Renji is with her. Rukia should be fine._He had stopped Renji at the Kuchiki gate to remind his vice captain that he would be counted responsible for any of Rukia's injuries. The redheaded man had given him an odd gesture, holding his thumb up while his hand remained in fist. Byakuya found it confusing,_what kind of kido was that fool trying to use?_

Their images disappeared into the light of the dimensional gate. He finally jumped off the roof of one of the towers and walked toward his office. Before he could get there, he bumped into Kyouraku Shunsui, and was quickly turned away.

"Your honeymoon is not over for one more day, Kuchiki Taichou. How are you going to explain to your new beautiful wife of your absence?"

"My lieutenant left for the Real World. I need to be in charge of running my squad now." He stepped to the side, ready to pass.

"Ay… I'm afraid I will have to talk to the commander and ask him to lengthen your honeymoon if you do that, Kuchiki Taichou" Using his shoulder to block Byakuya from passing, the eighth squad captain took another sip of his sake.

He could swear he heard a sneer before Kuchiki Byakuya disappeared. Only then that he slapped his hand on his forehead:

"Tsk, I forgot to congratulate him, what a man, always in a rush to get away from people"

* * *

They hadn't talked since yesterday's morning. He came to bed last night when his wife had fallen asleep, and when he woke up, she had gone to her store to attend "business". His guess was that she would be spending the day at her mansion or at her store, so he was surprised to find her talking to the old housekeeper.

"The tatami mats in Byakuya-sama's study are quite old. Call for the mat maker and order fresh ones. Also, give him an order for a Raku bed, and get rid of the futons!"

She was carrying a bunch of flowers in her left arm, and ordering about the renovation of his own home. While he had no opposition toward the new tatami mats, the thought of changing his sleep habitat was a bit too much to bear.

"I'm quite content with the futons" His voice rang out but Helena didn't seem to be startled by it.

"Raku bed is more comfortable, not mentioned cleaner because it is lifted off the floor. –He frowned at her implication that his floor was not clean enough- Everyone has been using it, and consider how much space the bedroom chamber has, there is no need for the servants to prepare the futons everyday. There are other tasks that need to be done"

He was about to open his mouth when she dismissed the old housekeeper. Now it was too late to argue. He watched as she sat down behind a table and started arranging the flowers into a vase. She looked nothing like the woman who had just barked orders at his servants and valiantly defied him. Without shifting focus, Helena addressed him:

"Why are you wearing your captain uniform? I thought you are not due at work for another day"

_Is everyone going to remind me that today?_

"I don't mind you afraid of facing me. Just please do it in a way that will not reflect badly on this marriage" She clipped the stems as she was saying this.

_Afraid?_

"I'm not afraid!"

"You are being insincere again… ouch!" Blood started to flow out of the tip of Helena's forefinger as the scissors blade cut into her skin. Despite his better judgment, Byakuya immediately closed up the distance between them, and before she could react, he took her hand and examined the cut finger.

"Let go!" She heed and he ignored it.

He hated seeing blood on her. It was hard to explain. But he couldn't imagine Naoki Helena covered in any kind of stain, mud or blood; and he liked the fact that she always smelled like flowers, fresh flowers, when they were bathed with the first dews.

"This cut is rather deep. I shall call for a physician..."

"There is no need!" She forcefully removed her hand from his grasp and to his amazement, the bloodied finger started to glow. Helena then took out a handkerchief and cleaned the dry blood of her finger, which was completely healed.

"I never knew you are a medical shinigami!" He exclaimed.

* * *

_A woman, wearing captain uniform, arched over a teenager as she was trying to heal a wounded bird. The woman was beautiful and calm. She whispered instructions into the girl's ears as an orb of light appeared, covering the weakened bird._

"_Helena-san, you are gifted!" The dark-hair woman hushed in excitement as the bird stood up and flew away. "You would be a good medical shinigami."_

"_I will, -the girl turned her marble face toward the kind woman- and then I will join your division, Retsu-san"_

* * *

"Consider that medical shinigami is deemed as weak and useless, you can understand the reason why our clan didn't promote this news" She bitterly responded.

He did not answer or make comment. This discovery about his new wife stunned him. It made him realize how little he knew about her, while she knew him almost inside and out. Guilt had its way with him.

"I'm sorry for being rude to you yesterday's morning" He muttered the words out under his breath.

Taken aback by his apology, Helena's hand ceased. Almost immediately after the shock, she answered with a command. "Tell me about your late wife"

_Tell her about Hisana? Tell her what? Should he tell her how he still dreamt of Hisana in his sleep? Or should he tell her that every time the first plum blossomed, he imagines seeing the pair of purple eyes staring through those petals?_

"Hisana was a commoner in Rukongai that I met by chance about 57 years ago. She became my wife after two years, and passed away five years later. Rukia is actually Hisana's sister..." He stopped at the sight of Helena drifting off and narrowed his eyes.

"I meant how was she as a person, Byakuya-sama"

"How she... well, she was gentle, and kind. Since Hisana was a commoner before entered my house, she never quite felt comfortable in the role of Kuchiki First Lady. Nevertheless..."

"Nevertheless?" Encouraged Helena.

"Nevertheless, she is a good wife"

"You mean she _was_ a good wife!" Helena shifted her body as she put down the scissors. His silence seemed to anger her even more. "Byakuya-sama, you still think of her as your wife, and me an impostor, do you not?"

He did not move at her accusation, or lose his temper. Instead, he slowly said.

"You are not an impostor. You are the head master of the noble Naoki clan, and Kuchiki First Lady. Hisana... she is the woman I love"

"Is the woman you love? You mean to tell me you still harbor love for a woman who's been dead for fifty years? -he flinched at the mention of Hisana being dead- A commoner no less! A commoner!"

"The moment I married her, she became a noblewoman just as you are!" Fury started to brew within him now and he struggled to keep it quiet.

"No, not AS I am, Byakuya-sama. Unlike your late wife, I do not carry out my life under your shadow. I'm not dependent on you nor powerless without you. Byakuya-sama, if you had expected me to be that kind of wife, I assure you that you would be sorely disappointed!"

"Enough!" He stood up now, rigid and tall. The vase immediately shattered at the slash of his spirit force. One of the china fragments passed by Helena, leaving a red mark on her jar. Tiny drops of scarlet started to form at the wound's smile. Still, she made no effort to heal it.

He looked at the crimson blotch that appeared on her collar and realized what he had done. He recalled his vows and felt shame plastered all over his soul. It did not matter how badly she invoked him, there was no way to justify what he had done. How could he have behaved like such a brute? Why was it that when it came to Naoki Helena, he couldn't seem to control himself?

"I... I didn't mean to hurt you. I was..."

"You were angry" She continued his sentence for him, still made no action to stop the bleeding.

"I'm sorry" He flatly apologized.

"I am not here to replace the position of Kuchiki Hisana in your heart."

At her words, a shower washed over the flame burning inside him. _This woman... _It's strange how she could easily infuriate him, and as the same time, calm him.

"Your wound needs tending..."

"I am here to be your wife, Byakuya-sama, -she interrupted his sentence like she never even heard it- have I been making your life so miserable?"

"No, not at all. -He looked into the dark mirrors that colored her eyes and quickly fixed his sentence- well, you anger me from times to times, but overall..."

The smell of blossoms filled his nose. That's right! The garden had been producing more fragrance than ever. He instantly thought of the tea that was always at the right temperature to drink. He thought of the lovely meals with perfect flavored fish. He thought of the old tatami mats that soon would be replaced. He thought of the pair of silky hands that gave him an odd sense of comfort.

"...overall, you are a wonderful wife" He finished.

"I'm not your late wife, Byakuya-sama. I need to ask of you to not condemn me for the fact that I am noble." In a flash, she was back there again: deep, deep among the outskirts of the Tenth district of Rukongai, laying next to the smell of bamboo trees and watery pond, awaiting a kiss that never came. That was the day when she realized what nobility truly meant. The sadness in her stare trembled Byakuya._ Helena..._

"Your wound..." He sat down again, his hand reaching for the red line across her jaw. _At least the bleeding has stopped. _She turned toward his palm, and he shivered at the warmth of her breath. "I'm sorry" He apologized again. She nodded into his palm.


	14. Chapter 14

"_Hisagi, I'm going to get married"_

"_Now?"_

_A pair of children were hanging at the secluded pond outside of the tenth district. The girl was obviously from a wealthy family, while the boy was from the middle class. The boy was holding a tiny leaf very close to his mouth, and as his lips vibrated, beautiful notes flew out of the green leaf. But this tune was interrupted by the news of his friend._

"_Not now, silly, I'm too young! -the girl laughed- Not until I become a proper shinigami"_

"_Do you even know whom you are marrying?" The boy asked, slightly upset._

"_No, I never met him; I only know his name is Kuchiki Byakuya. Father says he's brilliant, and very handsome though."_

"_I bet he doesn't like trees." Hisagi Shuhei sneered, secretly hated the boy whom he also never met. His young heart told him this Byakuya guy would take away his and Helena's playtime together. "Will you still come out and play with me though?"_

"_Of course I will, because I like you very much, Hisagi" The girl exclaimed._

"_But you will like him more than me." The little boy added in dismay._

**Chapter 14: Then and Now**

"Hisagi-san?"

A voice of someone jerked him back to reality. _I was daydreaming again... Tsk..._He glanced at the paperwork which had grown over the period of his tuning out.

"I'm so sorry, Unohana Taichou, I just kind of faze..."

"It's alright, Hisagi-san. You have so much to take care of, it is very terrible of me to blame you in any way." At her words, he relaxed, but then he noticed the absence of her lieutenant.

"Oy, Unohana Taichou, where is your Lieutenant?"

"Ahh, I gave her some errands to run. Beside, I want to talk to you about some personal matter"

His stomach started to knot together as the woman sat down. She calmly served herself a cup of tea, and did not raise her voice again until the cup had been empty.

"Hisagi-san, you are Helena-san's closet friend, are you not?"

"Well... when we were kids, but we haven't talked that often."

"Nevertheless, Helena-san always expressed much affection for you"

"It's hard to know. She never said anything of the sort." He said, unaware of the bitterness in his tone.

"Is that why you didn't attend her wedding?" Retsu Unohana asked, her tone neither higher or lower.

"No... I was... well..." He stuttered, trying to find a reason.

At his struggle, she did not comment. Instead, she looked deeply into the soul of the man who was scratching his hair; and she saw everything he was trying to conceal.

"I see... -She spoke, and he stopped scratching his hair- is she aware of it?"

"Aware of... Unohana Taichou, what are you saying?" Hisagi felt like a convict awaiting its verdict. His heart was beating so frantically fast.

"That you are in love with her" Unohana calmly stated without shifting of tone. Her hands folded neatly on top of her lap as the man in front of her sat dumbstruck.

"Unohana Taichou... please understand what you are accusing me of."

"But I'm not accusing you, Hisagi-san, I am very grateful of your love for Helena-san"

"Please stop!" He stood up and was ready to leave. Shadow covered his face. _What good would my love do for her now? What good could my feeling do to myself?..._

"Hisagi-san, why did you not tell her?"

"She was to be married. -he said, solemnly- She was to be married to Kuchiki Taichou. I... couldn't!"

"But what about when her engagement was canceled?"

The memory of a shaded pond one evening burnt in his mind as he clenched his fists, angry at some younger image of himself.

"Being loved is a wonderful thing, Hisagi-san, even when one is not aware of it"

"Unohana Taichou, are you telling me that I should have told her how I feel?"

"No, -Retsu Unohana's voice grew serious and disciplinary- Helena-san was to be married to Kuchiki Taichou. She is now his wife. No good would have, or would, come from you telling her how you feel."

"Then... what are you telling me?"

"I'm telling you of the sacrifice you made for her sake, Hisagi-san, by withholding your confession" She moved from her chair to before Hisagi, her voice was gentle again. "but now it is Kuchiki Taichou's turn to love her and hers to love him."

"I do not intend to make my feeling known, now or ever, Unohana Taichou."

"I do not believe you will. -She smiled kindly at him- But I also do not foolishly think that Helena-san does not have any feeling for you except friendship either. -Hisagi Shuhei's eyes widened at her words- Do not protest, Hisagi-san. You are, after all, the only man in her life except her father that she has had such affection for..."

"What is your point?" He impatiently addressed Unohana. His rudeness did not offend her.

"The past had passed at the moment Naoki Helena accepted the proposal of Kuchiki Taichou. Whatever chances or possibilities there were, they are of no use now for your nor her happiness. Let them be just cherished memories of the past, and put them to rest, Hisagi-san"

"Have I not done so already?" The words slurred out of him.

"You didn't attend her wedding because you couldn't bear to give her your congratulation as a friend."

Hisagi Shuhei looked at the woman who was standing next to him. He waited for more of her words, but none came. Her eyes were not pushing him, nor letting him off. They were patient and resolute as Hisagi drifted into somewhere deep and afloat within himself; and when he surfaced back up, he had his answer.

"I understand, Unohana Taichou, I will give her my congratulation soon" In a split second, there was only air next to Unohana's side.

"You really have a touch with delicate situations, Unohana Taichou" A voice made itself known almost immediately after Hisagi had removed himself from the office.

Retsu turned to face the owner of the voice. "Ukitake Taichou. Have you been listening the whole time?"

The man who just appeared smiled apologetically. "When you put things that way, it really makes me sound bad"

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. -She quickly fixed her mistake- You must have come here to talk to Hisagi-san yourself."

"It seems you beat me to it! -Ukitake laughed. His eyes darted to the huge amount of paper works on Hisagi's desk and caught sight of a magazine picture: the one featured Naoki Helena and Kuchiki Byakuya at the infamous ball.- Unohana Taichou, did you really think Hisagi-san would forgone his love for Helena-san?"

* * *

_The shinigami grunted as the tree smashed upon his shoulder. He did not have enough time to take her away, only a matter of seconds to put his body between hers and the falling trunk. Shrugging the tree of his shoulder, he let out a small groan at the knowledge that his shoulder was injured. _

"_Are you alright?" He asked the small trembling figure beneath him. She was wearing the uniform of a freshmen at the academy, her left arm was apparently hurt. At his question, she only whimpered. He tore off the sleeve of his kimono and bandaged her bleeding arm. "There you go. This should stop the bleeding, but get someone to take a look at it as soon as you get back, alright?"_

_She nodded as he helped her up. The man who saved her was young. From his clothing, she could tell he was from nobility. Retsu Unohana was surprised to find a noble whose manner of speech was so casual and filled with warmth._

"_Please forgive my rudeness, but why are you here?" She gathered her courage and spoke._

"_I happen to like taking walks in forest. -He smiled at her, noticing her uniform.- How do you like the academy? Ah, I miss it! It's been twenty years since I graduated."_

"_I like it very much" She looked downward, afraid to look directly into someone of nobility; she knew the rules regarding commoners and nobles. Though she couldn't help but stare at his injured shoulder._

"_Do not worry about my injuries. My physician can easily handle stuff like this." He reassured her. "Alright, I'll be off. Remember to be careful from now on, ok?" _

_As he departed, Retsu Unohana looked on. She promised herself to be a medical shinigami, and that she would become his physician and heal all his wounds from then on. She kept looking until the young shinigami waved her goodbye at the end of the road; his eyes shone golden among the greenness of the forest._

* * *

"No, I didn't." She admitted. "I merely hoped he would find a way to be content... It's a misfortune to love so narrowly." She commented, not knowing to whom it was directed to. Behind her, the white hair man made a sorrowful gesture.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Kuchiki Taichou, the Lieutenant did not leave any information on the duty schedule for next week that he has been working on." The 6th Division's third seat frantically apologized to the narrowed eyes of her captain. She could not comprehend how a man could come back from his honeymoon break with such ill humor. He had demanded to know everything that was done in the time he was gone, go over every little details, and make her responsible for all which did not meet his approval.

"Shouldn't you have made sure that he left me a report? -Not waiting for her apology, Byakuya continued- Bring me last week's schedule of duty and the request list. -He took a sip at his tea and flinched violently. _This is..._- Who prepared this tea?"

"I...I...did." ___Served me right for trying to do something nice! _The girl scolded at herself.

"It tastes terrible. Don't make it again."

"It is not nice of you to harass your officer on the first day, Byakuya-sama" His new wife appeared at the door out of thin air, her servants were right behind.

The girl stared dumbstruck at the woman who just defended her. The woman was tall and slender with incredibly dark eyes and hair; her skin was fair as snow and that only added to the dramatic effect of her appearance; her kimono was simple, but complimenting. ___She is like... grace. _The woman seemed to be aware of the girl's admiring stare because her dark eyebrows slightly came together in disapproval.

___Shit! What am I doing staring straight to the face of a noble_? The girl quickly adjusted her eye-level as the woman passed by her to come near Kuchiki Taichou's desk. She smelled scent of blossoms... and pure air... and spring water...

"What are you doing in my office? Non-officers are not allowed here"

"Can't a wife visit her husband who is hard at work?" Helena took out a fan and tapped it to her lips as she said them loudly enough for his third seat to hear. Byakuya quickly dismissed the eyeing-girl, but not before telling her to get someone else to make his tea.

"Enough of this. What are you doing here?"

"In case it slipped your mind, Naoki Trading Company is responsible for the goods that come to use of the Thirteen Squads. I'm here today to make some deliveries." She casually responded.

"Such tasks can be carried out by servants"

"Tsk, then I guess I just miss you too much already." The tip of the fan left Helena's lips and descended upon his. He instantly withdrew as if electricity had just struck upon the thin skin of his mouth.

"How shameless! You should consider your position a little" He frowned at the thought that Helena had grown more reckless in behaviors toward him lately. She teased him immensely and rejoiced at his reactions. This playful part of her he did not expect, and its indication of a certain comfort level in their marriage frustrated him.

She straightened but remained smiling as if his stale nature no longer bothered her; rather it added to her amusement. She did not say much, but finished the delivery to his squad before moving on the next. Byakuya noticed that since her visit, his tea was prepared in the exact manner it had always been made at his manor.

"Leave me here" She instructed her servants as she stepped inside the office of the Ninth squad. The desk was almost swallowed by a mountain of paper works. Her fingers touched the brushes hanging and the ink that was still wet. ___Shuhei_.She chuckled as the image of a much younger Hisagi Shuhei getting slapped on the head by Yune Sensei. ___He was always bad at calligraphy_. The sight of several green leaves laying about stirred that memory she held dear: Shuhei and his green, leafy flutes. One of them was still fresh, as if it was just taken from the branch this very morning. She lifted the young leaf and pressed it against her lips. No sound came out; and a sad smile lingered in her eyes.

"He...lena!" Hisagi stuttered, unaware of the missing honorific.

"Shuhei, why did you never teach me how to do this?" Her voice hid behind the leaf that still laid upon her lips: a slip of fresh green between two rosy petals glowing in the weak sunlight.

They were back there again, far away from the concrete office, far away from Seireitei, and far away from the presence. They were Shuhei and Helena again, young and restless, next to the shaded pond surrounded by the forest of bamboos; and Kuchiki Byakuya was but a misty shadow of the future. They had everything in that small secluded area; everything that was now lost...


	15. Chapter 15

"Kuchiki Taichou, it appears that Helena-sama did not leave us an inventory list"

"Why didn't you remember to ask for it?" He threw a merciless glint at his third seat again. His wife's teasing had left him in a foul mood, and the prospect of having to look for her did not register well in his mind.

"My apology, I will look for her, Taichou!"

"There is no need. I will look for her myself." He moved from his seat, and --in a flash-- disappeared.

_It has been more than an hour since she stopped here. She should be at the Ninth division's office right now. Tsk, that Helena... _

**Chapter 15: Jealousy**

"Helena-sama, I..." He quickly fixed his mistake and was too occupied with it to notice Helena had addressed him using his first name.

"So I'm Helena-sama to you now?" Her voice was soaked in a gloom that consisted of both dismay and loneliness. What playfulness earlier had melted away as she lifted her eyes to the man before her: the man who had abandoned her.

They both were brought back to the fragrance of fresh woods and wild flowers, to the sound of leafy tunes and water running, and to the particles in the air that shimmered in sunlight. All memories of the noons they spent together since childhood came as vividly and lovingly as if everything were just yesterday, as if years had not passed, as if peace were indeed eternal. _But things has changed a great deal since that final day..._

"You are Kuchiki First Lady now, and also the headmaster of the Naoki House. I didn't think it would be fitting to call you otherwise." He said matter-of-fact, and her silence: it hurt him more than words. Still Hisagi Shuhei continued the conversation as if the pain that resigned in each of them did not occur to him.

"How is Kuchiki Taichou? The honeymoon wa..."

"You didn't come to the wedding! -She cried out_- _I was cold to you when we met at the store... But you... you didn't even attend the wedding!"

"Please, forgive my rudeness."

"I wanted to say... I think about it all the time... I miss you all the time. Why did you never hang out with me again? Why? Have you grown to hate me, Shuhei?"

"I can never hate you, Helena-sama."

"Then why..."

"I was just busy with work and woke up late the day of your wedding." He laughed and Helena widened her eyes at this simple and Hisagi-like explanation. "I don't hate you, Helena-sama. It's just... things change. We can't hang out like before anymore!"

"Why can't we? -She stubbornly protested- I looked. I looked for you. I looked for you... Shuhei... I went and looked!"

_Helena, let me help you. Let me... severe this selfish attachment of myself from you. _

"I'm so happy... that Helena-sama thinks so much of me."

_If I had confessed the truth... If I had stayed... If I had the courage... But it no longer matters, Helena..._

"That is why I think Kuchiki Taichou is such a happy man." A breaking noise emitted inside his heart.

_Knowing you thought of me... Knowing you looked for me... Knowing you being a part of my life... Helena, I'm happy._

"Since he is your husband, you must think of him a whole lot more."

"Shuhei..."

A grin was spreading on Hisagi's serious face. As her dark eyes fixated on that grin, Hisagi Shuhei appeared clearer and clearer to her: his porcupine hair, his tattoos, his scars, and his pitiful bandage that kept falling off. The mist had evaporated: the boy whom she kept in her heart, and the man she was facing, had always been... _my most trusted friend..._The little grasp on her heart released itself.

"Tsk, Kuchiki Taichou should be spoiling you recklessly now."

"He is not that kind of a husband!" She threw the comment back at Hisagi's face, then realized it sounded as if she were defending Kuchiki Byakuya. "I mean, he's not treating me any better than a stranger. He...still loves his first wife, and I'm just an impostor, a trophy wife!" The mere mention of Byakuya's love for his deceased wife pierced through her heart. _This is strange..._

"Kuchiki Naoki Helena? A trophy wife? -The vice captain of the ninth division broke into such obscene laughers that she had to raise her hand to silence him- Forgive me, but you are the master of a noble house, the First Lady of one of the four great clans, you single-handedly manage Soul Society's biggest trading company, you get Kuchiki Taichou to change his sleeping habit, -The glare she sent him when he mentioned such intimate informations on her marriage almost shamed him into muteness -and you even tease him in public. Helena-sama, you have to be quite a woman to do all that!"

"Quite a woman, huh?"

_Three months ago, this compliment from you would have... Shuhei... but... it means little now, for I know what that man really thinks of me...Why, though, should I care?_

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just thinking about how things have changed." She smiled at him, but at the bottom of her smile instilled a bit sadness. The wind swept through the shades, sending the scattered leaves flying. When it left, it took away an illusion that had never came true.

"Hisagi-san, I know things have changed, but would you still have tea with me sometimes?" The noble woman spoke. Hisagi Shuhei let his eyes fall on the swan neck that had resumed its rigid posture. _Her gaze, it does not quaver anymore. _

"It would be my honor, Helena-sama." He bowed, his eyes touched the precious silk kimono. His fingers unconsciously compared the mediocre fabric of his shinigami uniform and the expensive fabric his sight beheld. Then, he was made understood of that which separated them.

* * *

"_I wanted to say... I think about it all the time... I miss you all the time. Why did you never hang out with me again? Why? Have you grown to hate me, Shuhei?" _

When he reached the Ninth Division's office, it was his wife's voice that pinned his steps down on the floor. The tone, however, was unlike her in every aspect: frantic, breaking, and earnest. This Helena he was hearing was not the Naoki Helena he knew.

"_I looked. I looked for you. I looked for you... Shuhei... I went and looked!" _

He left at that instance.

The knowledge that his wife, the cold, removed, and severe Kuchiki Naoki Helena, actually missed and went out looking for a man; the fact that she actually confessed her action to that very same man in such sincerity and frankness; these shocks took hold of him brutally. _She addressed him using his first name. _His fists clenched together as he caught sights of her two servants at the storage room of the Ninth division.

"Why are you here instead of waiting on your mistress?" He asked, more forcefully than usual.

"Byakuya-sama, Helena-sama herself instructed us to leave and not disturb her" Answered Ren.

_Not to disturb her?... _His suspicion thought of something horrible, but he quickly dismissed it._It might not be anything. That woman has always been eccentric in handling her own affairs after all._ Even after calming himself with reasons, Byakuya couldn't shake off that imprint of a Helena whom he had never known. _"Shuhei... I went and looked!" _

"Shouldn't you be working in your office, Byakuya-sama?" A voice startled him. "Did you come here to harass my servants as well?"

She noticed no reaction on his smooth face, and instantly dropped the playful tone. _He's angry? _She asked him again, this time cautiously.

"Why are you here, Byakuya-sama?"

"You forgot to give me the inventory list." He replied, but relaxed none of his muscles. His gray eyes hardened at how his wife's body angled toward the man beside her. "Also, I want to remind you that it is inappropriate to not have your servants with you."

"It's my fault, Kuchiki Taichou. I was away from my post so Helena-sama had to send them looking for me." Hisagi quickly stepped in.

"There is no need for you to defend her, Hisagi. -Directed his stare toward the slender woman before him again, he coldly stated- She is the First Lady of the great Kuchiki clan and, henceforth, needs to know how to behave herself accordingly."

Naoki Helena snapped her fan closed. Unlike others, her cheeks did not turn crimson in anger. Her skin was as fair as ever and her parted lips remained their form of a stale smile. The only difference was the reflection in her eyes: like edges of crystal pieces, ready to fly out and cut open the enemy.

"Hisagi-san, please do not trouble yourself. Byakuya-sama is just worrying about me." Stepped over to her husband's side, Helena cooly said. "I'm sorry to have caused you any distress. We should go back to your office to sign the inventory list."

* * *

"Leave us!" 

Helena's voice raised sarcastically. "Oh, now you are in such a hurry to dismiss my servants?"

Within an instant, his body closed up the distance between them. Doubt enraged him. _What was she doing? Was she even aware of her position? What is Hisagi to her? Is there... something between them?_The figure within his grasp appeared so fragile that he could crush it without effort. He grind his teeth to suppress the urge to hurt this woman whom he called wife. Helena met his rage with hers own, not less in intensity. The humiliation he gave her, and the fact that she had no choice but to go along, cut her deeply. "_We are both too proud!" _Her own words came to mind, and she cursed the marriage she was trapped into. Neither of them spoke for a while, but glaring at each other as the walls cracked with tension.

"Are you so lost for words you became mute?"

At her insult, he raised both his hands in a threatening manner, only to see her iron stare defying him. _You... _His hands came down... A pinkish line across her noble jaw stopped him. There, among the fine texture that resembled snow, was a faint reminder. But it was not enough to cease his anger. _You... How could you... Damn you to hell! _

He seized her swan neck with both hands, and kissed her as coarsely as he could manage. His lips crushed the velvet felt of her lips. Kuchiki Byakuya never kissed any woman this way all his life: full of some feeling that was too intense for words. He felt a desire to kill her and a desire to have her. He wanted to hurt her and he wanted to kiss her. He wished to stop and he wished to go on. Her hands on his chest pushing him away only put more oil in the fire.

"_I think about it all the time... I miss you all the time...Shuhei..."_

The memory of her confession hit him like a monstrous cat finally bit its prey. His hand reached into the thick mane of her hair and caught a full fist of the silky material. His other hand was around her waist, holding her captive to his body. Her scent evaded him as he pulled her neck rigid and lifted her along his full height. He wanted to drown out what he had overheard. He wanted to erase the name that escaped her lips earlier.

_You're my wife!_ Someone inside him screamed.

So he kissed her to the point of unbearable abandonment. It was rough and sweet at the same time as the kiss quickly deepened and his own anger was finally lost in its whirlpool...

..._She carried in her the fragrance of spring: a million sakura blossoms blooming next to the running brook, atop of a field that bathed in fresh morning dews. She smelled like scented dawn, both crisp and tender. She smelled like quiet night, silvery and sweet. There was no sad sunset, no unsettling tears, and no anger..._

_Helena... _He softly called her name, his voice evaporated like air feathers...

The sensation of something sharp sinking into his lips jerked him away from the euphoria. Byakuya quickly let go of the woman in his embrace. His fingers reached for his lips and felt the undeniable presence of blood. Still he looked down at them, checking the scarlet smear on his skin. He felt disappointment at the sudden end of the kiss, but it quickly vanished as anger once again surfaced.

"You dare to bite your own husband, Naoki Helena? Even if you are noble, it does not mean you can escape punishment."

His blood was on her mouth, but she cleaned it up with a cold wipe of her sleeve. "And it is ill-mannered also to act like such a savage as you just did, Kuchiki Byakuya."

Silence was upon them again. _Will you think about this all the time, Helena, like you do to Hisagi Shuhei? What do you think of all the time concerning him? _These questions scared his mind. _Will you bite him, defy him just as you did to me, your own husband? _

"I'm your husband." He flatly said, knowing how terrible it sounded. Byakuya would never take advantage of a woman using his position, but he felt cornered and had no choice but to tell Helena the harsh truth of their situation.

His reply hit home, for Naoki Helena's appearance took a turn to worse. Her skin was pale, with anger and sorrow alike; and her lips quivered in anguish. She thought of the days when she was free to act toward him anyway she wanted. She thought of the life she would be living with this man who bore no love, and only hatred toward her. _He loves a woman who has been deceased for fifty years._ It hurt her to think of Kuchiki Hisana. It wounded her to see her heart filled with jealousy toward a woman she never met. She looked at the man standing in front of her with blood on his lips. The grayness of his pupil was metal, and his mouth wore a grim expression. His kiss burnt still, and she was aware of the fast beating of her heart which was now reduced to a melancholy rhythm...

"Oy, do not let me interrupt the passionate meeting between a husband and his wife. I'm merely a spectator"

"Kyouraku Taichou!" _Did he...see everything? _Exclaimed Helena.

"Were you spying on us, Senpai?" Byakuya asked the captain who had just appeared with the unfriendliest tone in his possession.

"Woah, of course not, I came here to congratulate you on your marriage." With his normal cheerful attitude, Shunsui reached into his robe and took out one big sake bottle along with several cups and announced his intention despite the couple's dismay. "Now, since your cute bride is also here, let's drink to a happy marriage!!!"

"It is prohibited to drink during working hours" The sixth-division captain strictly reminded his college.

"Oy, you are so mean and always rules-biding! -Some fake tears made their way down Shunsui's cheek- Will you deny me even the simple act of congratulating you and your new bride, Kuchiki Taichou?"

Silence greeted him._ Tsk, I always have to make a commotion to get somewhere with him._ "Well, how about meeting me for a drink later? I will be very upset if you refuse. How about that? I'll cry, and cry, and..."

Byakuya sighed. _There is really no way to escape this embarrassing guy without giving in. _"I accept. Now would you mind leaving us?"

"Oy oy, of course, I would not want to interrupt anything else. But Kuchiki Taichou, do not break your promise, Helena-sama, you too. You are nobles, remember that!"

The reminder of their status in Soul Society calmed them as its speaker had intended.

_We are nobles. It is up to us to behave ourselves and set standards to all others. We forfeit the freedom to act freely to our emotions and banish the weakness to give in to our hearts. _

Helena moved closer. Her hand reached for him, but never touched; rather, it stopped short at the open space in front of his mouth. Kuchiki Byakuya was too engrossed at the mysterious expression on her face that it wasn't until she had stepped aside to take out and sign the inventory list that he realized she had healed his wound. He touched the healed lips with his tongue: it tasted of renewing spring and fresh dawn.

"Helena..." He called her name again; this time, the tenderness of his voice was no longer invisible feathers. It was lively wings flapping in the world of sounds...

Helena was not there to hear it, she had left without him being aware of her absence. Alone, Byakuya wondered whether it was a blessing that she didn't hear him sweetly calling her name.

"Helena..."

* * *

A man, his face hidden in darkness, witnessed everything that had happened. He saw everything with an expressionless face, which only hinted a bit excitement the moment blood appeared on Byakuya's lips. He heard the name of Helena escaping Kuchiki Byakuya's lips; he saw her heartache underneath that unreadable face. The man laughed heartily. His laughter was cruel and pitiless. He touched the rim of the basin. The vision of Kuchiki Byakuya and Naoki Helena swiftly blurred out among the ripples of the vermillion fluid that reeked the odor of blood. 


	16. Chapter 16

With one arm, he held her steady by the waist; with the other arm, he pulled her hair away from her face as disgust gleamed inside the pair of ash-colored eyes. _This is so unsightly. _Byakuya bit his lips while his new bride was vomiting. No one, not even Naoki Helena, could perform this hideous act gracefully._ Tsk, I never knew her tolerance of alcohol is this bad._

"Oy, is she ok, Kuchiki Taichou?"

His glare shut the cheerful man up in an instant._ She would not be in this condition if you, Senpai, had not insisted on her drinking._ He listened to the scratchy sound from Helena's throat and flinched.

**Chapter 16: Closer and Apart**

"I will ask for a carriage" He told her hastily.

"Can we... stay outside for a while?" As much as he would like to get both of them home, he couldn't refuse someone who had just spent the last fifteen minutes getting sick. So he nodded with a very grim expression on his face.

Together, they were engulfed in the phantom sound of leaves and petals in the air--- sitting on the edge of the well outside the tea house and watching the reflection of the shinning moon that stirred every now and then with the breezes. It was quiet so early into the night, the crickets had not even sung yet. _It's so peaceful..._The woman beside him coughed: her hair was undone, showering over her shoulders, her hands covering her mouth, and her cheeks flushed in a slight fever. Worry knitted his eyebrows together.

A tune much resembling a flute arose. The melody was rather whimsical and old. For a minute, Helena forgot her alcohol intolerance and turned around.

"Byakuya-sama, I never know that you practice music!" At the sight of the green leaf pressed against his lips, she suddenly smiled with an odd feeling of happiness.

"It was Hisana who taught me this trick" He honestly replied, then catching something in her stare, he quickly added. "I thought it would ease you"

She nodded. _It does ease me. _He stopped for a moment as to wait for more of her words. When none came but a sneeze, Byakuya took off the white scarf around his neck, and promptly wrapped it around his wife while avoiding looking directly at her.

"Next time you should not drink so much. Isn't a medical shinigami supposed to know their own limits?"

She laid her hand on the scarf that was secured around her neck, and smiled in response to his scolding. She felt warmer immediately, although this result was not entirely attributed to the rare scarf on her. There she thought of Kuchiki Hisana. _If you could be so kind to me whom you hate and despise, Byakuya, how much you must have adored her whom you loved, and love still!_

"Your first wife must have been quite a woman, Byakuya-sama"

At her comment, he muted for a second, then responded.

"Yes, she was..." _Even though she rarely smiled, when she did, it felt like the whole world was blooming!_

"Byakuya-sama, would you teach me this trick too?" Asked Helena.

"..."

He looked at the woman beside him like it were their first encounter. She wasn't the noble woman he married, she wasn't the emotional maiden he overheard, she was someone tender and earnest. Tonight, he was simply a man as she was simply a woman...

He taught her how, but very quickly admitted that she was helpless. Her breathing control was bad. Her notes were out of sync. She either crucified the leaf or treated it as a baby bird. _Apparently, her skill in gardening equaled her failure in music._ Nevertheless, he had never seen a more hard-working student than Naoki Helena. She clutched his scarf tightly for warmth with one hand, and with the other struggled to position the leaf. At the latest exploding buzz she made, Kuchiki Byakuya let his voice ring into a laugh.

"Wh...a...at? Am I not doing it right?" She inquired as he tried to silent his laugher.

He took the leaf, which had bent from her abuse, and threw it into the flowing wind. Helena uttered a cry. "My Helena, your music is just not as lovable as your garden!"

He felt embarrassed, realizing that he had called her _"My Helena"_, although his wife was too crushed by his criticism to notice the different address of her name.

"Hisana... she must have done it beautifully, right?"

Her question startled him, and he chose silence as an answer. He turned a bit away, and his pair of gray eyes were far away again, lost among some shadows she could not sweep away. Helena felt a creeping sadness inside her heart. The man before her had never seemed so unattainable. _It's useless, Father, I can't understand him nor reach his heart..._

* * *

_"__One of the most painful things is to love someone and never be loved by that person in return. My dear daughter, you will love Kuchiki Byakuya with all your heart and make sure he loves you just the same"_

_"__What if he doesn't?" The little girl cried at the prospect of a broken heart._

_"__He will, Helena. It is destined, but you have got to be patient"_

* * *

__

___Father, this man has already given his heart for someone else... I will not have a broken heart, Father. I will not love this man!_

"Byakuya-sama, I think I will start spending my days at the Naoki manor from now on" She spoke it as casually as she could, then at his widened eyes, she added. "Of course, I will still be spending the nights at the Kuchiki manor like we had agreed. It's just... I think this will work best if we stay more apart from one another."

Something inside him broke, hearing her declaring what he thought he had always wanted._Spend...the days apart? _After all, they weren't in love; their marriage's priorities were harmony and an heir, not love or happiness._How could I have forgotten... _His surprise soon grew backward into the image of Hisagi and Helena together as assumption sunk its fangs into his mind.

"You may do as you wish." He said rather harshly, then stood up. "It is getting late, we need to get back." This time he wasn't in the mood for any other request, and they rode the way home in silence.

* * *

"You and Kuchiki Taichou will spend your days apart?" Ukitake asked again in disbelief.

"Helena-san, is this really necessary?" Unohana leaned forward. "Furthermore, do the elders approve of this?"

"The practice is rare among nobles, but since I am a Headmaster myself, it shouldn't be out of context. They perceived this beforehand and agreed to it when we first got married. As long as we spend the nights together, no one will say anything." Helena calmly sipped her tea. "I have thought about this matter carefully. Byakuya-sama and I have a hard time getting along. It would only be embarrassing if people found out about our quarrels"

"Except...that is not the reason why you ask to live apart, right?" The woman's keen violet eyes scanned through her. "Helena-san, what is it that drove you to this decision? It seems almost to me like you are running away from Kuchiki Taichou."

_Running away?...Ridiculous! Why would I run away from him?..._

"I have no other reason. -She retorted- Why are you two forcing this upon me like the rest of people? Did I not marry him? Am I not entitled to just a bit of liberty? Do you, like my father who is so disappointed that I was a girl, intend to bring me misery?"

...SLAP!!!

"UNOHANA TAICHOU!" He shouted.

Her palm burnt. It left a red patch on the fair cheek of Naoki Helena. Unohana's beautiful violet eyes were brimmed with water at the still-in-shocked noble young woman. She never thought she would ever discipline this girl in front of her this way.

"Helena-san, how could you...think of your father that way? -Unohana voice quavered- How could you possibly think that he wanted to bring you misery?... Your father loved you... He wanted... everything... everything for you!"

"Unohana Taichou, please" He guided her back to her seat. _Unohana Taichou, you still..._Turned to Helena, he took out a handkerchief and pressed it gently against her cheek. "Are you hurt, Helena-san?"

"I..." She couldn't think. The slap was replayed in her mind like a reel of film that got stuck. Unohana Retsu, the tender and gentle Unohana-san, had slapped her. "I need to attend to something else. Please excuse me."

Without waiting for their responses, she quickly got up and left. Her feet dragged upon the tatami mats, and turned limp as soon as she got into the carriage.___ Unohana-_san...She thought about the woman who had remained her father's physician for most of his adult life. She thought of the thick dark hair she was so fond of braiding as a child. She thought of that calm voice and gentle touch. Unohana Retsu was the only mother figure she knew. Her hand felt the heat of the slap on her cheek, and suddenly felt tears._Unohana-san...do you hate me as well?_

* * *

"Absolutely not! Byakuya, what are you thinking?" Hiroshi Tono slammed his fist on the heavy table. "I cannot believe your insolence!"

"Hiroshi-sama, we have already agreed to this at the time of proposal. Since Helena-sama says she will still spend the nights in the same chamber with Byakuya-sama, we have no reason to forbid her from spending her days at the Naoki House" One of the elders spoke.

Byakuya sat quietly as his Sensei tried to dispute the pact. He felt a strange disdain toward them, and found himself stealing looks at the warm tea prepared for him. The last few days had been swamped with work, and he hadn't slept except for a few hours. The idea of this meeting exhausted him. _That Helena...smiled so happily when I told her I would tell the elders today._ The thought that he sat through this meeting to see her smile sounded ridiculous to Kuchiki Byakuya; although, he wondered if his tea would still be the same after she left; his long fingers started fidgeting the blossoms arranged around the porcelain, and he uttered a sigh.

"Byakuya, do you realize what scandal this will create?"

"Scandal? -He lazily replied- Sensei, Naoki Helena is the Headmaster of her own clan: this practice will be seen as pretty common. The Kuchiki elders had agreed to this condition before we got married, we cannot go back on our words."

"But..."

"Enough! I am her husband and I have made up my mind about this matter. Everyone is dismissed from discussing this any further." He quickly glanced around the table and noticed Horomaru's absence, then his gaze fell on his Sensei, whose face was twisted in agony. For years, he suspected something between those two, but their hatred for one another never appeared to be more than foolish bickering between old men to him. _____I can't attend to that now, I need to go back to the office._

* * *

"There is no need for you to come with me, Byakuya-sama" She said as he climbed into the hooded carriage. For several days now he had watched her preparing her home coming, and some irritation spilled inside his heart. Why would she pack as if she were never gonna come back? He had pondered on himself the question many times. His Governess had grown to like her new mistress so much he thought the old woman was gonna blame him for Helena's departure. In fact, she did. He recalled the scorching hot bath this morning, and the watery stare she gave him, as if he had just cut her allowance.

"When are you coming tonight?"

"Tonight? --at his frown, she quickly remembered-- oh right, yes... Byakuya-sama, are you alright?" His posture sank into the soft velvet; his hand tried to shield the sunlight away from hitting on his face. Helena looked closer at the sweats on his temples, then realized how bony his cheekbones had became.

"Byakuya-sama, you shouldn't push yourself too hard" She closed the shades, which seemed to ease his throbbing headache a little. "Have you had any sleep at all these past days?"

He slightly shook his head, though the drowsiness made even such a simple act difficult. He wanted to say something, but it slipped his mind somehow.___Ahh... _He was so close to her, only inches apart._____ I still haven't finished works yet. I need to check on..._His eyelids got heavier, and his back started sliding. The carriage was rocking in a lullaby._____ I can't go to sleep, there are still much to do!_

_____He was tired, yet he still managed to talk to his elders for me._ She promptly reasoned that Byakuya probably wanted her away from him as soon as possible; but this logic didn't take away from the fact that this man had been working days and nights without a single complain and managed to fulfill her wish with so little time.

A soft hand pressed against the side of his head, and he felt gently pulled toward a silky material. "Sleep, Byakuya-sama, you need it." Her voice lowered to a whisper as her thighs cushioned his weighted head. His protest was muffled in the sound of fabric and the rhythm of the moving carriage. The world revolved slowly as sleep took him into its tender arms. His consciousness closed upon the familiar fragrance of spring and his ears faintly heard the musical recitation of a poem.

_____Sleep, my beloved,_

_____Sleep in the meadow of a thousand songs,_

_____that which blossomed_

_____into a thousand rivers_

_____thousands of years ago..._

She stopped reciting the poem and soaked his sweats away with her sleeve. In his sleep, Kuchiki Byakuya appeared like an ordinary shinigami: his mouth slightly parted, his grimness gone, and his rigid body relaxed. He's breathing steadily. Naoki Helena had never watched someone sleep before, even with Hisagi Shuhei. Like wise, she had never allowed anyone in her chamber if she wasn't awake. _____Until this man..._

* * *

___"__You know, Helena-san, being able to fall asleep in front of someone means a great deal!"_

_____The beautiful woman gently answered the little girl's question. Helena's little fingers were busy twisting and binding the thick mane of her mentor into a long braid. Although her eyes shone at Unohana's wisdom._

___"__When you fall asleep in front of someone, you forfeit your control. You give yourself into the hands of the person watching you!"_

* * *

They had shared the same bed for weeks, but he had always risen earlier than her, and gone to bed later. She had never seen this serene expression on his face. Her heart beat faster at the sight that he was, in this moment, entirely hers. _____Entirely mine?... How foolish! _Reality smashed her on the forehead.___His body might be mine right now...but his heart...his heart belongs to you, Kuchiki Hisana. _She carefully caressed the corner of his mouth, and traced one finger along his jaw line to his collar bone. Beneath her finger was the living flesh of a man. Her mind drifted to the memory of her wedding night, and instantly reacted with heat. Byakuya slightly stirred in his slumber, and for a moment, she thought of waking him up. With him awake, cold and distant, she would not have to deal with this strange longing. She felt his warmth seeping through the layers of her kimono and wished her whole body diminished to be only her legs.

_____Do I...want this man?_

Her face was closer to him now, as if it were a vine reaching for its frame. Her dark hair spread across his wide chest. Her trembling eyes leveled with his fastened ones. She was so close she could feel his breath sinking into her skin. With the tips of her fingers, she placed them gently on his lips. _Byakuya... How would you kiss me if I were not Naoki Helena? A part within her suddenly blossomed. How would you kiss me if I were just a woman, Byakuya-sama? Her soul burnt with a nameless desire. How would you kiss me if I were the woman you loved?_____

_____She was waiting, patiently but nervously. The sky was around her. The earth was beneath her. The wind scattered across her skin. When she opened her eyes, no shape came to sight. Only the lonely beckoning of trees and wavering of pond-water._

Her eyelashes fluttered a few butterfly kisses, then a sigh escaped her lips. She ran her fingers through his soft hair, and laughed silently at her foolishness. _I want this man, alright, but does he even want me?_ She moved away from his lips. _Lucky me I got enough sense to stop myself! _His hands suddenly closed around and pushed her onto his chest: her ear against his heart. He was murmuring something in his sleep, and his grip was too firm to be broken. She gave away the last smidgen of escaped intention and listened to that beautiful rhythm inside his breast. She wanted time to somehow stand still, like immovable mountains, so she could wander boundlessly in this land of embrace. His chin pressed on her head, and his lips placed upon the thick ribbons of hair.___Byakuya..._

_____Warm...and steady...his heart... it's beating..._

_____Would it be alright if I...stay like this? You won't mind, right?_

Naoki Helena realized, while laying in the embrace of Kuchiki Byakuya, that she longed to be a normal woman, that she wanted to be a woman and be loved, that love which was stolen from her. _____Kuchiki Hisana...how I envied you, a commoner, for being loved so entirely by a man. I couldn't even manage to keep someone whom I had adored since childhood from hating me._

"Hi...sana..." His voice was utterly gentle as his arms tightened around Helena. "do...do stay with me for a bit more..."

She didn't feel loath nor hate, what she felt was a mystery. "I am here, Byakuya-sama." Her lips joined his with a kiss, and their bodies locked inside an embrace.

_____Just a bit is ok. Let me...for once...know what it feels like to be kissed by a man who loves me...just once is alright..._

After a long moment, she felt his lips leaving hers as he drifted once again into a deep sleep. For a while, she stayed in that awkward position, stared at him and at the reflection of her dis-shelved self; then suddenly broke away. She covered her face as shame swept over her.

_____How pathetic, Naoki Helena, what you have done: admitting your desire for this man whom bears you only hatred, and taking advantage of this situation. What a disgrace you are! You received something that was not meant for you out of your own hunger for love. How could you have let yourself be defeated by your heart? Naoki Helena..._

"I'm...shameful, aren't I, Father? -She leaned on the back seat- Even though I am doing everything I can to get away from this man, even though I detest him, even though I do not love him, I can't help wanting him"

She laid her palm on his marble cheek and caressed it. "I'm sorry, Byakuya-sama, it's just...I want to know what it feels like to be loved...to be...the whole world to someone. You see, I've been alone...always alone. It's not you I love, it's love I have fallen in love with. Byakuya-sama, your late wife is truly the luckiest of women."

Taking a deep breath, Helena tried to keep a certain feeling, like pain, from over-flooding her heart. Her husband lied silently, unaware of the confession his wife had just made. She withdrew her hand and promised herself to never step out of her boundaries, to never want such useless thing as love, and to never desire this man again.

* * *

"Byakuya-sama, please wake up. We have arrived" 


	17. Chapter 17

"Byakuya-sama, Helena-sama, it is a pleasure for us to greet you for your stay here." An elder placed himself at the entrance of the Naoki. Behind him was the committee, looking intently at the man who wore a captain uniform with the letter "sixth" on the back.

"Honshin, Byakuya-sama will not be staying. He is merely accompanying me here" At her words and approaching, Honshin's eyes gleamed. He processed to put his body between her and the entrance path. She towered over him like a Grecian post, but the man made no attempt to move. "Honshin, what is the meaning of this?" There was an edge in her tone.

"The committee has decided that Helena-sama will not be admitted at the Naoki manor without the presence of her husband" Honshin coldly restated, then turned to Byakuya. "In fact, we have decided for Byakuya-sama to hold the position of the Naoki Headmaster from now on"

**Chapter 17: Clouds**

He wasn't prepared to hear the last sentence, and definitely not ready to hear the following. Helena stepped forward and leaned into the shorter man like she was about to struck him, but her wrist was caught by Byakuya instantly. He whispered into her ears: "Let's not cause a commotion here." She tore her wrist from him like Ukitake spat out his cough, though he could feel her agreement in the slightest of nod.

"Prepare a room!" He ordered, and the assembly line quickly parted to reveal a path.

Unlike the Kuchiki House, Naoki meeting room was inside a postal structure that laid outside the garden. The huge table was transparent, hovering over a pond with shimmery swimming things. The structure was surrounded by bonsai to the point it looked more like a gathering place for summer picnic than a serious meeting room. There were flowers hanging from the curved roof, like bells ready to ring. They had a honey color that not quite honied, but more like fresh lime with sunshine. He took in a deep breath, and noticed Naoki Helena as pale as wax.

It took him a moment to figure out that she must never had fun in this room before, and the picture of her deceased father displayed between two elegant orchards did not help either. He walked a bit closer to her, but found her moving even further again. They stopped when everyone had gathered around, and Byakuya started to scan every old face he saw. _They are certainly different from the Kuchiki elders in term of loyalty. _He thought. _They leaned on Helena when things got rough, and now they are ready to abandon her just because a more convenient choice comes along. _Helena and he reached the head chair at the same time and both made the move to sit down. The silence was awkward. In a way, that chair had belonged to Naoki Helena most of her life, and the thought of letting anyone, including her husband, sitting in it was a bit irritating. One of the elders signaled to a servant and instantly another chair was brought forth.

"Helena-sama, please sit down" They all said, and Helena, with her jaw clenched together, sat down on the new chair next to her husband. He appeared calm and natural, as if he was born to be here as much as she was. For a minute, a forethought of betrayal flashed before her eyes.

"I need to know the reason why the Naoki elders decided to switch the headmaster position. As you all know, it is not in the marriage contract."

"Byakuya-sama, we are all thankful to Helena-sama leadership over the last period. But now that she is married, the role of the headmaster should automatically transfer to you, her husband. We are also in favor of having such a powerful captain like you as the image of our clan."

"Are you implying I wasn't a good image?" through her teeth she growled.

Her remark silenced the committee for a while. It seemed they were evaluating their options of how to deal with their current, soon to be former, master. _She won't back down easily. _They turned their heads in agreement. _We will have to use that information._

"Helena-sama, we merely worry over your careless conducts these past few months."

"Careless conducts? Would you mind elaborate on that?" She saw a frown from Byakuya's straight face and wondered if she asked the wrong question.

"We receive reports saying that you and temp Captain Hisagi have tea regularly with each other. Alone. Without guards." A man with platinum hair replied. "We also know that you visited Captain Hisagi in his office whenever you watch over the delivery to the Thirteen Squads."

Byakuya clamped down his jaws, unable to speak. _They have tea together? Regularly? Alone? _The doubt that he tried to suppress now surged back up, invading his mind. _No wonder why she wants to spend the days apart! _He always knew his wife wasn't in love with him, but for her to be in love with someone else...

"Hisagi Shuhei and I are friends from childhood!" She protested. Fear grew within her, like a darkness that was expanding its grip over her heart. She wasn't afraid of them, but him: he had not even paid her the slightest of a glance ever since the accusation was brought forth. He sat there, contemplating, with his fingers fondling the scabbard of his zanpakuto.

"The situation does not appear innocent to us" Honshin declared with a scoff.

"You..." Helena stood up.

"STOP! -A deep commanding voice rang in the air- You people are an embarrassment to nobility."

Sitting before them was the most powerful headmaster of the Kuchiki clan, and he appeared infuriated.

"Do not forget I am your master's husband, and thus only I have any say regarding her fidelity. -He placed his hand on hers and squeezed it tightly, _too tightly!_ She didn't squirm but bite down her lip- First, you people have no authority to place a watch upon her, let alone draw from it foolish assumptions. Second, you cannot renounce her right to leadership when you acknowledged her many years ago. Finally, I have no wish to be the headmaster of this clan. My wish is for my wife, Kuchiki Naoki Helena, to remain the headmaster of the Naoki Clan as well as Kuchiki First Lady."

* * *

"Byakuya-sama..."

"Don't!" He turned his back to her. He wondered if it were pride or something else that angered him so, even though he couldn't stand not defending her in front of all those elders.

"Byakuya-sama, surely you didn't believe what they said?"

"I know it is the truth. -His eyes were cold- I witnessed you confessing your feelings to Hisagi"

"What...no! that was...but then why did you defend me?"

He looked at her very carefully. He eyed her dark eyes and the rebellious waves showering over her swan shoulders. He stared at her cherry lips whose taste and feel he still remembered. There was something about this woman that made him...well...the feeling was indescribable.

"Because I am your husband, and you are my wife. Letting someone insult you would mean I let him insult me. I promised you that you could do as you like as long as you entered this marriage, and I do not break my promise."

"But...you might have compromised your influence and image out there!" She understood, understood too well and too deeply what could have cost him an hour ago. She finally realized the wisdom of Ukitake when he commented how alike they both were. _There are two of us in this world. _She grasped his kimono with both hands.

"It's fine"

"Bu..."

"It is fine. I do not wish to discuss this further!" He put his hands on hers, intending to unwrap them but instead found himself gripping on to them; and she looked up.

* * *

"_He is your husband, Helena, he will find you more beautiful than all seasons in the world. He will protect you at any cost, even his own life. Helena, give yourself to him just as wholeheartedly as he will to you"_

* * *

He felt moved --looking into her eyes as dark and feeble as midnight pools when the sky was drawing to a point as the first glowing sparkle of the even star faintly appeared. The bridge they stood on made a swollen bank on the flat bed of green earth in which pinkish petals weaned into carpet. Byakuya felt the birth of a new world within and outside, here with this woman whose scent invaded him. His lips descended on hers like feathers, and she kissed him back. 

She doubted him. She was sure he would betray her for the title of headmaster._ But he didn't. He protected me._ She felt such tender beats inside her chest._ Just like the last time, against his own elder._

When their lips parted, many shadows had drawn across the scenery and cold breezes had started to blow. Still they stayed the same, in awe of the new light cast upon one another. Kuchiki Byakuya had never been so confused. _Why did I kiss her? Why did I want to kiss her? _He remembered risking his reputation in order to protect hers, and found himself doubting if her reputation were even worth defending.

"Hisagi-san and I are friends from childhood. We have tea from time to time, but there is nothing between us. What you heard the other day is only an argument about the past which is over. You are my husband now, Byakuya-sama, and you will always have my loyalty."

"Your loyalty huh?" He was still holding her in his arms. _Is your loyalty all you can give me, Naoki Helena? _He felt a bit sedated, partly because of the pleasant perfume in the air. "What if I demand more from you than just your loyalty, Helena?"

His question startled her. Her heart started to race, and she was not quite sure if it was due to happiness or panic or both. She recalled the carriage ride.

"What about your obedience?" He lifted her chin.

"That, I'm afraid I cannot give you." She felt cheated out of something beautiful, and suddenly the man before her stopped being a knight in his shining armor. _He is just a demanding, arrogant, cold-hearted priss after all. _

"Still protesting me, I suppose?" Normally he would never talk so much. But there was something in the air today. A shift. He felt that their relationship had finally taken a leap on its own, and a part of him wanted to follow. "It's fine. You being obedient doesn't interest me anyway" He closed his mouth on hers with those words.

The lanterns were lit: a million fireflies with golden glow surrounding two living statues. This garden had never had its first kiss, and in celebration had brought out all its beauties. The reclining arms of tree branches sprinkled small petals in the smooth flowing of wind. The running fountain lifted its currents into something whimsical. The chirping of birds silenced into a hum. All, was for this kiss.

"What do you mean you do not want my obedience?" Asked she when their kiss ended, still astonished by his declare.

What did he mean by it? Byakuya didn't know. He didn't even know why he would make such a comment. He didn't even know why he felt such a need to protect her, to defend her, to keep her from harm. He didn't even know why his mind was filled with anger and jealousy at the prospect that she were in love with someone else. Since she entered his life, the numbers of things he couldn't explain or understand kept growing.

"Cease your questioning, I've had enough." He retorted. _Your obedience certainly seems very desirable now. _

Amazingly enough, she didn't vex him any longer on the topic. The fact that he just voluntarily kissed her just registered in Helena's brain, and she unconsciously reached for her lips, as if to catch that memory and put it in a silk pouch. Byakuya's grey eyes suddenly widened, and he released her.

"I have to attend to some business" He turned away, but stopped at the sound of her voice.

"Byakuya-sama, would you like to spend the night here? Just for tonight of course." She quickly added the last phrase. He nodded out of courtesy.

* * *

_She touched her lips as they were both trembling. Their first kiss. Her first kiss and his first kiss too. At the sight of her gesture, he knew that she was just as much in love with him as he was with her. The violet eyes gleamed as they swam in the opposite transparent grey color. He caught her hand and held it firmly against his chest. _

"_Hisana, I love you. I love you dearly, and with all my heart!" The small girl smiled at his passionate confession. She never said it back, just let her hand be embraced by the hand of the young noble beside her._

* * *

"Mistress' hair is so silky I wish mine were the same!" Ren combed the black hair as she had been doing for every year of her life. Her mistress, instead of overseeing the management book like usual, was gazing into the mirror with distant eyes. "Helena-sama, is there something wrong?" _She's humming a song...How strange..._

Ren continued to comb the long hair of the woman before her, and as the same time looked at the reflection on the glaze. In a matter of days, her mistress had grown into a woman: her strict jaws softened, her fair cheeks flushed with glow, her cold eyes sparkled with something tender and wonderful. The curve of her mouth formed a kind of smile only seen with maidens in love. Ren gasped at the realization that the woman she had been servicing was indeed beautiful, and the knowledge of her previous plainness only made the girl that much more enamored with the change.

"Mistress seems very happy today." She leaned in as she reached for a ribbon. "Does it have anything to do with the master?"

"Nothing in particular." Her blush betrayed her as Ren screeched in excitement. "Do keep your voice down, Ren!"

"I'm sorry, Helena-sama. I'm so very glad. I mean...I have always known that Byakuya-sama cares about you"

"He did it out of pride. I am his wife. As for the kiss... -She glared at Ren to avoid hearing another squealing noise- he is a man. There is nothing to be congratulated."

Ren carefully tied the abundant amount of waves into a white silk ribbon. "I do not think so, mistress. Byakuya-sama seems to be terribly upset at how the elders treated you today. Plus, he was jealous to know about your friendship with Captain Hisagi. Why would he be jealous if he did not feel something for you in the first place?"

Love? Could he possibly have space left in his heart to love another woman? She found herself hopeful for a favorable answer. _What a disgrace! How could I be thinking about such thing?To expect love out of that man is to expect misery! _As her brain scolded, her heart began its own reasoning. She pushed against her chest, tried to calm the exquisite abandonment of order.

"Be careful what you are saying, Ren, remember your station" She coldly replied and the maid instantly bowed in apology. At that moment, Byakuya entered the room. He appeared to be fresh and clean in his uniform. His eyes darted around the room except his wife.

The maid was dismissed, and they were together again, alone. "Would you like me to send for a hot bath?" She politely asked, standing up from her vanity table.

"There is no need, I have already taken it. I thought you would prepare a guest chamber?" He looked around, uncomfortable at the fact that they would be spending the night on the same bed after what happened earlier. He was still in recovery, both at the shock of his behavior and her gesture. He didn't dare to think the impossible. _No, she couldn't. She wouldn't. _

"Byakuya-sama, you know as well as I do the rules. I am to retain my liberty as long as we share the same bed every night"

_So any thoughts concerning my discomfort did not occur to you? _He scorned. _And to think... _

"Would you like help in getting ready for bed?" She coyly asked, as if not aware of his growing annoyance. He didn't heed her question, but silently removed his own uniform, zanpakuto, and Kenseikan behind the dressing screen. He put on the sleeping kimono that was laid out for him, flinched a little bit at the color, and when he turned around, she had gotten to bed, her hair tied up neatly above her ears: flaunting the grecian neck above the collar. He swallowed hard and turned away.

"How do you find the Naoki manor?" She asked after giving him a few minutes to settle.

"It's exquisite" He mumbled.

"This quarter is my favorite. It hasn't always been here. My father built this for my mother himself; since she died giving birth to me, I inherited this place. You can say this quarter is my home."

He stole a glance at his wife. She was looking deep into a past he was now invited. Her voice reduced to a joyful whispering tone. Even in dull darkness, he could see the sparkles of her eyes. _She's happy to be home. _He never considered her feeling in leaving behind the place she grew up in to live in a strange manor with a husband such as him. He hated being so sentimental.

"Byakuya-sama, thank you"

She turned to him, and there was such tenderness in her he couldn't resist. So he put his arm around her and press that slender body into his. _Fool, you never have to thank me for anything! _His fingers caressed her bare neck and he found himself again intoxicated with her scent. His forehead felt heat. The heat started to spread throughout his whole body like a fever. Instantly aware of this fact, she laid one of her perfect hands on his marble face.

"Your forehead is a bit war..." She was about to withdraw her hand when he suddenly caught it.

"_There is nothing between us...the past...is over. I am your wife..."_

"Byakuya-sama..."

She looked face to face at the man whose chest she was lying on. The Kenseikan was gone, and his smooth hair fanned across the pillow with a few strands over the shadowed features. It was so silent she could hear his heart and breath getting closer and closer. His grey eyes were not cold. They shone with a mysterious feeling and she could see herself inside it. How she wished it was only her he saw! She smiled --not to be sarcastic or satiric or mocking-- but just an innocently graceful smile, the kind that was his favorite. _I have got to be crazy! _Kuchiki Byakuya told his uncontrollable self.

He gently pulled her close. They were both trembling. This newness that was born between them quivered them both. Something so wonderful, so precious, yet so fragile it could break at any moment. It felt so natural, even more pleasant than coming home, kissing her! To Byakuya, this woman belonged to him fully and completely. When he embraced her, he felt the eternity of spring; when he kissed her, he felt the world moving in a state of ecstatic enrapture. In this world, there was no need for reason or logic, just an ever-lasting movement of ecstasy.

He traced the collar of her kimono with his fore and middle fingers, unsure, wanting, and waiting. She was only hesitating for a moment, then nodded. Still he kept his fingers at bay, as if to give her a second chance to escape. _You are sure about this, Helena? _She pulled open the upper part of his kimono and laid her palm on his left chest. Kuchiki Byakuya patiently stayed paralyzed under the inspection of his bride, not knowing the significance of her listening intently to his heart. He felt the night seeping into his veins, and sighed as she placed her lips upon his cooling flesh._ Helena..._

And they melted into each other.


	18. Chapter 18

_He was standing alone in a field of mist. The air was cold and eerie. He looked up and saw both a pale smiling sun and a hot burning moon. Flowers...flowers were falling around him now, covering all barrenness. From the mist there stood his zanpakuto. _

_Kuchiki Byakuya remembered the first time he had met the soul of his zanpakuto. He was ninety-years-old and much too young to see this woman who was clad in a kimono sewn by cherry blossoms. From her presence he smelled a flowery fragrance. Like spring. And she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen: her eyes jewel green, her lips like two pink petals enfold, her hair a gorgeous multilayer of deep brown, and her skin fair as snow. "What is your name?" He had asked._

_Her voice had no sound. It felt like a rumbling of air inside his ears. "Have you ever loved?" _

"_No. But someday I will" He thought she looked so sad._

"_My name is Senbonzakura. And you will see the true extent of my power the day you fall in love"_

_The day he confessed his love to Hisana, she granted him the power to achieve Bankai. Still she looked so sad. There were tears in her eyes, in Senbonzakura's eyes._

"_Senbonzakura, why are you here?" He asked her. She was standing just a foot away from him, as beautiful as hundreds of years ago. He didn't move as she jumped into the air, looking down on him. Then grabbing his head, she showed him the one smile he would never forget. Senbonzakura had finally smiled upon him. _

**Chapter 18: She Who Never Smiled**

Kuchiki Byakuya opened his eyes to another face who was still deep in slumber. All those mornings and nights at the Kuchiki manor, he never saw such a peaceful expression on that fair face. The silky strands of her hair laid aglow upon the thick mattress. Her skin, her lips, even her eyelashes seemed to shine like gold. He slightly turned toward the sunlight pouring onto the bed through the most sophisticate skylight he had ever seen constructed. The bed glowed like gold among a field of flowery motifs on the floor made with rays of sunshine; somehow the light was gentle and warm so that their sleep wasn't interrupted. He thought about the man who built this place, and how that man must have felt waking up every morning next to his beloved woman beneath this magical light.

He tried to quit his arm from under her head, but instead of rolling off, she grabbed him as if he were a pillow. It was then that he was aware of his nakedness and pushed her violently aside. _What..._His eyebrows came together and memory came back to him as his eyes fell on the body that stirred very softly next to him. _Last night, I ... bedded her. _He put a hand over half his face. _It wasn't the first time, but... why do I find it different? _Byakuya could hear his heart now, mimicking its breathless rhythm like last night. _What time is it? I overslept?_

Helena woke up, mostly due to the terrible jerk some brute gave her, to see the figure of her husband bathed in the dreamy sunlight._ He's still here? Normally he has left by now, before I wake up._ "Did you sleep well?" Her voice didn't startle him as she had thought. Rather he just nodded and seemed about to say something when the cheerful voice of her maid rang outside the bedchamber.

"Byakuya-sama, Helena-sama, your bath and breakfast are ready if you desire them"

He felt glad that Helena had trained her servants to never open a door or enter a private room without permission. If it were his own servants he would not oppose, but to be seen in this condition by someone else was beyond his patience.

"Also, Helena-sama, Unohana Taichou requests a meeting with you. How should I deliver your message?"

She held her mouth closed for a while before announcing her decision: "Tell her I would receive her in my back garden four hours from now. If she likes, she can wait." The silhouette bowed and stepped away.

"You and Unohana Taichou are very close?" He stood up from the bed, picking up his kimono as she did the very same thing with her robe.

"She was my father's personal physician. -then hesitantly she added- Unohana Taichou delivered me from my mother the day she died."

...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx...xxx

As he was still fumbling, she had already neatly tucked in her daily kimono with sky sleeves and stepped over. "Tsk, you are certainly too used to having servants doing everything for you." Then without waiting for his consent, Helena skillfully dressed the noble man standing helplessly next to the screen, pushing his hands aside every time they came near the fabric. As she went to fix his collar, her hands suddenly stayed there, smoothing over the tiniest wrinkle. Everything seem so surreal and blissful.

"There you go" She finished putting the Kenseikan back on his jet black hair, and realized how handsome her husband had grown overnight. Her cheeks burnt.

"Are you alright? It seem like you might have a fever" Asked he, having never seen her blushed.

"I guess I'm still slightly upset about what happened yesterday with the elders" She was._ They had always opposed me being in the head position. Who knows what they will do next. _

He tied his zanpakuto on the side of his sash, then turned to her. "Your elders cannot do anything, since I have no wish to take your position away from you"

_You say so because you have no idea how trickery they are. _She bit her fingers in pondering.

"Do not worry anymore_ -_He took her hand away from her teeth_- _I will investigate this matter"

* * *

_Those old ingratitude fools certainly do not have the nerve to tail their own master. Someone else is involved. _Byakuya placed his step carefully among a worn path, this road he had not taken more than twice. 

The place was the same, full of trees that yielded neither flowers or fruits, their boughs were like bony arms of starving people, reaching in devastating attempts to suck off the life of wanderers. The grass was rough and crispy, as if they were fried though there was no sunlight beneath the thick woven branches. _Even insects do not live here. _He took a left turn, and the smell of tobacco became stronger as he approached an old mansion. When he was very young, his father took him here to pay respect to Kuchiki Horomaru. He remembered how the wood that made up the wall, the floor, the postal, everything, stank the smell of old blood, and how he had always hated that smell.

"Oh, what has brought Byakuya-sama here without his escorts?" Snorted a terrible looking man.

The noble headmaster stood in the middle of a dark room. He seemed to illuminate, even among the darkness. The man sitting before him was smoking a pipe with heavy scented tobacco. Behind him was a huge tapestry: reciting an ancient story of Soul Society's beginning. Next to it was an oddly shaped katana which at first glance looked normal, but somehow never appeared so to Kuchiki Byakuya.

"I want to know if you are involved with the Naoki clan's abdication" His words were stern and direct.

"I see. -Horomaru took a long breath out of his oversized pipe, watching through his slit eyes the marble face before him- So Byakuya-sama has come all this way out of concern for his new wife. I also received words that you spent the night at the Naoki place? Could it be that your Sensei was right? Byakuya-sama is indeed happy with Naoki Helena despite his deceased wife Hisana?"

He put his hand on his sword and tightly gripped. _How dare you mention her! _His spirit force exploded, but it didn't seem to bother Horomaru one bit.

"Did I anger you, Byakuya-sama? Do not worry, just because you are happy with your new wife doesn't mean you have forgotten your dead one."

_Forget her? How could I ever forget her? _The sight of her sad smile, her gentle eyes, and her frail body entered his heart. How he missed her! How he wished ever single time looking at the first plum to have her beside him again! Her sight, her sound still lived in his heart, but his body was enveloped in the touch and the scent of someone else.

* * *

_'With his hands, he pulled open the white kimono, revealing the womanly body that was solely his. Even in darkness he could see its fairness, and feel its rising temperature. He reached to discover her skin as soft as cashmere to his touch, and heard the loud frantic beating of her heart behind her breast. "Come!" He pulled her beneath him, this woman who carried in her the essence of spring. This woman who promised him her loyalty. This woman whose lips upon him brought alive the sensations he thought he forgot. This woman whose name was Kuchiki Naoki Helena.'_

* * *

Kuchiki Byakuya wanted to unsheathe his sword and cut open the world before him. The world that was forever without her, his Hisana. But he couldn't; since he was bound to this world, since he was bound to another woman._ Since when have I come to care for her?_ He recalled the dark eyes that possessed gleams as sharp as mirror's glazes. He recalled how feeble and fragile they looked under that twilight of yesterday._ Hisana, it's not that I..._

"Do not evade my question. Horomaru, are you or are you not involved in the Naoki clan's abdication?" His stare grew merciless.

"Is your suspicion because of the unfortunate meetingbetween Helena-sama and me? Tsk, Byakuya-sama, I was merely testing her strength as the Naoki Headmaster. --_Apparently there was not much to test-- _How could I possibly be involved in such an affair, staying in a remote place like this? I have never approached Helena-sama after our first meeting."

"I see."_Even though I suspected him, I have no proof of his involvement. Beside, what would he gain from denouncing Helena_? "Even so, Horomaru, do not act so carelessly toward Helena again. She is Kuchiki First Lady, your mistress!" He turned his back against the ugly sight.

"Your words demand my obedience, Byakuya-sama. --He bowed in what was obvious a mocking gesture-- But... I wonder if Byakuya-sama himself knows everything about his wife?"

_What? _The young noble heard a cruel stream of laughter resounding behind him.

* * *

Their meeting was awkward. Unohana, for the first time, found herself without words. Her palm still burnt with the unpleasant memory days before. Helena, sipping her tea, was lost in contemplation. They sat in the tea house located in the back garden like they had many times before --never without words to say to one another.

"Helena-san, please... accept my apology!" The gentle captain of the forth division finally forced words out of her throat. She looked in earnest at the young woman whose eyes were still close, and whose mouth still calmly enjoying her tea. There came a clank of porcelain; and Naoki Helena, having finished her cup of tea, stared strictly at Retsu's face as the words that followed struck the older woman in the deepest depth of her soul.

"Unohana-san, were you in love with my father?"

She was stunned. Her mouth stayed in the same shaking stand for longer than she could have counted.

"Someone who is as collected as you would never be that angry unless something were said against a person you deeply love." _ "__Byakuya-sama seems to be terribly upset at how the elders treated you" _The reasoning of her personal maid rang in her head. "_Why would he be jealous if he did not feel something for you in the first place?" _She tried to drown out those words.

"Please forgive me, Helena-san" The secret she kept for all these years now laid naked and bare on the stone table.

"I could never be angry at you, Unohana-san. How could I when you have loved my deceased father so much?"

Retsu looked at the young woman before her. She was like always, wearing a plain kimono with very little decoration and very faint color; but she was smiling kindly and the sparkle of her eyes gave off warmth._Helena-san, you really are not mad at me. _She cried out of happiness.

Helena left her seat and kneeled next to Unohana, looking up to her just as she did hundreds years ago when she was still a child. She saw in this woman the only mother she ever knew, the gentlest, kindest, and most beautiful of all women. She had always wanted to be like her._ "Look, Unohana-san, my hair is just as black as yours!...Unohana-san, I will be a medical shinigami just like you!...Would I become as kind as you are, Unohana-san?" _She pressed her cheek against the white uniform.

"My father was so blessed to be loved by you, Unohana-san"

"My love was completely one-sided, Helena-san. He truly loved your mother, even after she was deceased" _I knew that we could never be together: a noble and a nobody. _She recalled the past. _But I vowed to be next to the man I loved. I remained his physician. Even though...this heart of mine..._

"Tell me about my mother, Unohana-san"

The forth division captain caressed the smooth face of Naoki Helena. "She was very beautiful, the most I have ever seen. When you looked at her, it was as if you were in the presence of spring. --Retsu remembered the awe she had felt as she laid eyes upon the woman whom the man she loved gave his heart to-- Your father never told anyone how they met. Nobody knew anything about her past except that she was related to a man called Hiroshi Tono, Kuchiki clan's Sensei, which was considered a fabrication as well since Tono-sensei was said to be a direct descendant of one of the heavenly guards. He has life beyond measure of a shinigami but he can have no offsprings."

"What was she like, my mother?"

"She was considered a strange woman. I have never seen her smile nor hear her speak. But I remember well the way your parents looked at one another, and I knew they were very much in love. Helena-san, you are the proof of that love." _And I guess I should tell you now. _"There is something you should know about your mother, Helena-san, she died in delivery due to blood loss"

"Blood loss? How? Isn't a shinigami's life force his/her spiritual energy?"

"You can see why it was bizarre. --Unohana nodded-- Helena-san, the fact that you are the first female heir in a clan whose headmasters had always produced male offsprings combines with the mystic identity of your mother and her death are the reasons your father had been so demanding of you. He did it to protect you from the elders who were convinced you would bring ill omen to the clan. He never wished for your misery, Helena-san."

_Father... Is that why you pushed me so hard? All those lessons and arrangements were indeed for my sake? To prove that I am worthy of my position? _

"You might have inherited your mother's blood condition, so your father was greatly pleased to find out that you are a medical shinigami. In fact, he was the one who asked of me to teach you the art of healing even after you were pulled out of the academy"

_Right, after they discovered I have no future as a shinigami. _Helena remembered. _Father, did you marry me to Kuchiki Byakuya for a reason too? Did you think I would find happiness with that man? _

The Mistress of Naoki held the hands that had brought her into the world against her left breast, a habit from childhood she still maintained. Such sympathy was in her heart toward the woman she had always idolized.A sting ignited at the corner of her eyes.

"Your pain, Unohana-san, I think I feel it, though I don't know how."

Unohana Retsu put her hand upon the young head, puzzled for a moment at this confession. Then a light overtook her. She took the face that was still as fair as first frost in winter into her palms and turned it straight to her violet vision as her question rang like thousands of crystal bells.

"Helena-san, are you in love with Kuchiki Taichou?"


	19. Chapter 19

At the widened and panic eyes of her favorite pupil, Unohana Retsu gave a light chuckle. "You are in love with Kuchiki Taichou. I can see the glow in your eyes at the mere mention of him that Ukitake Taichou and I once mistook for loathing"

"What arrogance! --Naoki Helena tore the hands off her face and stood up. She was infuriated and scared at the same time-- Do not assume that you know my heart! What gives you this ridiculous conclusion?"

"I've watched you grown: from a seed to a young bud, frozen under the white snow. Naoki Helena, the Mistress of Naoki clan, is a cold and severe aristocrat. --She raised her hand in a mild but powerful manner-- She is full with pride and honor, yet lacks sympathy and regard for others. Here you wept for me for you felt my wound that burdens you also: the love for a man who loves someone else."

Retsu took a small step forward, wiping away the strands of hair that obscured those dark eyes from her; her tone was gentle, yet resolute.

"I saw kindness in your smile and warmth in your soul. Helena-san, only love can change the cold maiden you once was into the woman you are becoming"

**Chapter 19: Thunders**

The sun had drawn on for ages it seemed. The shadow of the tea house's roof reached toward the distant horizon. But to some the world was whirling without sounds, and thunders that not seen in the sky were indeed striking the bare and unshielded heart.

"I am not kind nor warm. --at last Naoki Helena spoke-- I have no need to know the words, the thoughts, the desires of those around me. They do nothing but stray me away from my duty with foolishness. --She stood queenly among the woven green and gold, clad with dignity and authority-- I am the headmaster of my clan. Call me cold, severe, grim, cruel, or unsympathetic; but I know my wish is to do good to the name I bear, the name I love.

"But now I bear two names. --With her eyes set on a far away figure, Helena's voice deepened- No, I am no longer Naoki Helena. I am now Kuchiki Naoki Helena. And my life revolves around them now. --The sun wrapped a halo around her wavy locks that shone like brightly lit waterfall-- If you only know the shameful deeds I have done, the ugly feelings that dwell in me, due to this feeling you call love, you would think twice before calling me a becoming woman"

She looked to the failing sun, sinking to the shapeless form of perplexity. Her dark eyes fell wayward, upon the years that had passed. _I am no gentle woman. _The sting again came in the middle of her iris. _I know no jokes, tell no tales, and have no need to understand others' positions. Such is who I am, and I am not ashamed. For it is this self that allows me to wield my life and my kin. I wanted to be gentle like you, Unohana-san, but circumstances didn't allow me to._The rustles of eaves sounded like music. _I just wish to be loved like this, for I can't be any other way. Yet it is foolish._

"I am in love with Kuchiki Byakuya. --She stared directly into the opposing violet gaze as she delivered a confession that was harshly sounded, but passionate nonetheless-- I love him dutifully for he is my husband, bearing the same name I now bear. I love him selfishly for he is like me, people who are born in a world of rules and bindings. But my great misery is that I also love him as a man, even if he were to be without his titles. I love him as an arrogant, righteous, and stale being who has NO love for me. Unohana-san, do you understand?"

* * *

"_I'm afraid, Unohana-san. I'm afraid that my decisions regarding Helena would prove fatal to her future happiness. Was I wrong to push her so hard? Would she manage to become both a leader and a woman?" The golden eyes was aglow with worries._

"_Do not worry, Hokunara-san, she will be as beautiful as her mother and as brilliant as you."_

_The twenty-seventh Naoki headmaster smiled in reply. "If any, I wish for her to be like you, Unohana-san, and such I think is also her wish."_

* * *

"You can't despair out of fear that you will suffer the same fate as I, for already your fate is different. You are married to him whom you love! Kuchiki Taichou is not a man of words, but of actions. Think, I am sure you will find many clues to his feeling for you. --_Tsk, if he is anything like you, he probably is not even aware of how he feels--_Helena-san, I do not believe that your marriage is loveless."

There it was, hope, a featherless creature toying with her senses. She wanted so much to give it wings, so it would fly and call rain upon the barren field inside her chest. She marveled at this emotion, so piercing and so tender, so vast and so narrow, this emotion people called "love"._ Byakuya..._

"Unohana Taichou, I would like to have some private words with my wife if you do not mind." A stern voice suddenly appeared out of the peaceful silence. It spoke more like a command than a request, and the man who spoke it did not appear to be flexible on this matter.

"Our conversation is already at its end. Thank you for meeting with me, Helena-sama. I hope you have a good night, Kuchiki Taichou." She quickly excused herself, leaving them both alone in each other's presence. Helena, still a bit dazed at her own discovery, was lost for words.

"I want to show you something" He said, extending his hand, and at the sight of her nod, immediately took her securely to his side and moved from the spot with the speed of wind.

* * *

The entrance was silent when they touched the ground. It was almost sunset, and the last sun rays were clinching upon the red tiles of the roof. There was a small garden to the side, containing one perfect cherry blossom tree and a few stones big enough for sitting._ Where is this place?_

"We are at the Kuchiki manor, and this is a part of my living quarter" Byakuya answered, as if he was reading her thoughts. Gently he set her upon the clean floor, and noticed her crimson cheeks. "Are you alright? Is this the first time you have experienced flash-step?"

It was impossible to tell him that their nearness just then caused her face to flush, Helena impatiently changed the subject. "I haven't seen this part before, and I am sure I have asked the servants to show me around."

"That is because I ordered them to keep you away from this place" Calmly he led her to a very tall and narrow door. With a deep intake of air and one simple gesture, Byakuya opened the door to reveal a square naked room, with an altar at the very end wall: solemnity filled the atmosphere. He stepped inside, his steps left no sound or imprint on the wood. She followed him to the altar, not knowing what to expect. Her heart jumped as he opened the altar doors and stepped aside.

"This is my first wife, Kuchiki Hisana."

The incense was lit almost two third of its length. No dust gathered around it, and the holder appeared to be rather used. _Someone must be coming here daily for a long time. _She was stunned for a bit at the level of devotion and care present in front of her.

"I've been coming here everyday to see her for fifty years." Replied he to her silent comment. _To see her? _Kuchiki Naoki Helena gave her entire focus to the picture under the white silk banners. The woman under the glass had a sad but graceful smile. _The hair, those eyes, that face... they look exactly like..._

"Rukia is my adopted sister, I found and adopted her after the death of Hisana, at her last request." His voice was toneless, but impossible to miss. Still she did not turn to heed his words. Her eyes were fixed upon the commoner who had inspired her jealousy. The woman exulted tenderness and understanding, something she entirely lacked. In those violet eyes there laid a world beyond the gates of Seireitei this noble had never set foot on. She could see suffering in that sad smile, and yet there was something so noble and tranquil._She is kind of like Unohana-san. _This thought only seemed to make her feel more intolerable toward the unfortunate wife of Kuchiki Byakuya.

"Why do you show me to her, Byakuya-sama? What are you meaning to tell me?" At her questions, Kuchiki headmaster kept silence upon his lips. His gaze was far and deep, whether in recalling or contemplating.

* * *

"_It appears that captain Hisagi and Helena-sama were somewhat childhood sweethearts. In fact, she even asked him to be her beloved once. It was a shame he had too much pride to kiss her back. --Taking a huge draw on his tobacco, Horomaru continued-- Her affection for him was not that hard to figure out. He liked trees just as much as she, and skilled in playing the leaf-flute"_

_The mention of the leaf-flute shot him like a poisonous arrow. 'She told me there was nothing' He tried to convince himself against the images on the Mirror of the Past. Then he remembered how strange she had been acting since that night outside the tea house. In her eyes there was no loathing, and in her kiss no protest. 'That gesture she did with her lips' He never dared to venture down that path, for it was too unreal and out of logic._

* * *

He observed her throughout: _so fair and proud!_ looking at him unflinching. Those eyes captivated him, those eyes which beheld the universe, which ignited such sparks that could cut his barriers, which carried such depth and intensity that could rumble him to the core of his being. He wondered if on the mirrors of those eyes existed the image of him, or just a shadow of someone else from a distant past. His prediction of the answer wounded him, though Byakuya knew not if it were his pride or his heart that got hurt.

"I want to show you how different she is from you" He leaned in. "I want to show you that I see you not as a shadow, but as who you are, Kuchiki Naoki Helena. That you are no trophy wife or replacement. That my treatment of you reflects and deprives nothing from my treatment of Hisana"

With those words he lighted her heart, like the glow of a star that appeared in the midnight sky. The barren field suddenly grew full of barrels, and her featherless bird finally opened its wings. Her chest wanted to burst, her mouth wanted to shout, and her whole body wanted to run to him for an embrace. But these sensations were too new for the cold maiden she was, so she stayed in her place, earnestly and lavishly drinking in the sight of him.

He reached for her, though did not embrace her. His eyes were warm but sorrowful, understanding but distant. Helena placed her hands into his, and tightly squeezed, hoping that what went unspoken could be heard through this mingle of touch. It was not missed, for her husband raised her hands which were weaned with his to his cool lips.

"Love is not love if it is but an echo of the past. Helena, your feelings are not real, therefore they are not true."

With this he delivered her to the hungry thunders, to be struck wildly and senselessly, to be broken and shattered at the edge of a bright morning not yet unveiled. "Byakuya-sama, what are you saying?" Her hands were dangling now at her sides. The man whom she called husband stared down unto her, his grey iris were stale and harsh. The storm came so sudden, and she was too unprepared.

"Do not think well of me because of my likeness to a vision of your past. I am not captain Hisagi nor anything like him!" He lowered his voice, but it was still as sharp as knife. "Even I have enough respect for the woman I call wife to not treat her as a shadow of someone else."

Even as he issued those words, there was no anger in his eyes, and this fact frightened her. The small glimmer of light was receding, giving way to the spreading cob web. She opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her with a resolute gesture. In him now there was tenderness as he spoke once more.

"I am your husband, Helena. I am bound to care for you, to protect you, and to cherish you; it is the vow I took and have no intention of breaking. These are our bonds, and we act according to them. I cannot give you more than these, so do not chase after an image and a desire of the past. For I cannot fulfill them for you, neither as a replacement or as myself."

The field was drained and the bird was stripped, bare and helpless now._He neither believes in me nor loves me. _Her tears spilled inward, down the worn stairs clad with thorns. _Bonds? Your care, your affection, your praise, everything were but according to bonds? What different are they from lies if they grow not from your own desire and sincerity?_ She pushed him away as hard as she could manage. Byakuya moved back, but her push didn't seem to affect his balance._ Am I supposed to be satisfied with this?_

"But it is not enough. Not enough, Byakuya-sama! --_Maybe I am not deserving, maybe I am not suitable, maybe I am in no way a normal woman, but I know that I want nothing less!-- _I gave you my whole, and demanded nothing less but your whole: soul, body, mind, and heart. Doubt me if you will, but I shall tell you right here, not on pride or honor, that my feelings are true." Liquid pearls formed at the corners of her eyes.

"I am in love with you, not as Kuchiki Byakuya headmaster of Kuchiki Clan, not as Kuchiki Byakuya captain of the Sixth Division, but as simply Kuchiki Byakuya the shinigami. I do not love you according to bonds or vows. I do not love you out of hope to regain the past. I do not love you out of gratitude or admiration or even fear of loneliness. I love you because I do. I love you even as you are right now, accusing me of insincerity and denying me of your love."

The world was silent as the last orange streak left the open sky and evening covered them all. Kuchiki Naoki Helena stood with her heart bare before the man who now possessed it. She had no armor to protect her from the humiliation the truth just bestowed upon her._ I was defeated by my heart!_ She clenched her fists as Kuchiki Byakuya stared unbrokenly at her.

* * *

"_No, Byakuya-sama, there is no need to give me your whole. Such a thing I do not want from you. Just your affection for me is enough." His wife answered._

"_But I'm willing to give you my whole. Such is natural and such is love. Hisana, why do you not want it?" The young noble persisted._

"_It would be unfair, Byakuya-sama, since I cannot give you my whole." At this the nobleman looked sad and hurt, but still his wife did not lie.__"I'm sorry, Byakuya-sama. I do love you, but..."_

* * *

Here they were, within an arm reach but leagues apart. Silence was unbearable, but words were impossible. So they continued standing, neither saying nor moving. After a long breathe, Helena gathered all her strength to announce her departure back to the Naoki manor, and Byakuya just nodded without glancing at her. He commanded the servants to serve his meal, and stepped over to the dinning quarter. 

The food tasted like nothingness. The rice tasted like nothingness. The tea tasted like nothingness. Everything was without scent. He found himself picturing his wives, how different they were from one another. One who demanded nothing more from him than what she could give him; one who gave him everything and demanded his everything in return. One he gave his heart away; one he restrained his heart from. One who was kind and gentle unlike him; one who was hard and severe like him. One whom he trusted; one whom he doubted.

It would be easy if he hated Helena. But everyday he grew more accustomed to her face, her gesture, her words. Everyday he found himself looking at her with more understanding and respect and care. Everyday he realized little by little that he wanted to see more of her rare smile. But how could he give away his heart again when he had already done the deed?It would have been better if her feeling weren't true, that it were a shadow she loved. But it was real, and Kuchiki Byakuya was vexed beyond his imagination.

"BYAKUYA-SAMA!" A scream tore him from his headache.

"What? What is so urgent that you dare to interrupt me in the middle of a meal?" He poured his irritation and anger on the servant. _What could possibly happen?_

"Captain Hisagi sent a message concerning Helena-sama, sir. The mistress was badly assaulted on her way to the Naoki manor!"

The chopsticks were broken into halves in his hand as the rain started thrusting down after a thunderous sound whose lighting shred the velvet sky.


	20. Chapter 20

He flied through the arrow field of rain to the Medical Center, holding in his arms the woman he loved. The sombre weather fell on his shoulder with enormous weight, but still his legs were swift as wind. He clutched her to his chest, as if to shield as much of her from the pouring rain as possible, but in fact he did it with the terror that he came too late. The sight of the center's roof came into his view, and already awaiting was captain Unohana with some nurse and a stretcher. He touched the ground, and immediately she was taken from him. He ran after them, but was firmly turned away by Unohana Taichou. She put a hand on his head: "Rest, Captain Hisagi, she is now my responsibility!" It was short and unwavering, so he stood outside the operation room in anxious and troubled manners.

It was a short while later that Kuchiki Byakuya arrived, not short of breathe nor pale of face. In fact, he was quite calm considered his knowledge of who was laying behind these closed doors. Only his closest servant would notice how a shadow resigned over his smooth face, and how his fists were clenched together behind the great folds of his uniform. His eyes fell on Hisagi Shuhei who was still soaked and saw not the rain nor the figure, but the bright red blood not yet dry that was plastered all over the wet fabric, still dripping to the floor, and giving out its fresh stench.

**Chapter 20: The Beginning of the Storm**

"Captain Kuchiki, no one is admitted during operation" The two nurses put themselves in front of him. Without even a second of hesitation or a side-glance, he brought them mercilessly onto their knees and pushed pass the heavy doors despite their protesting whimpering. After his white "six" letter had disappeared behind the green metal, Kyouraku Shunsui suddenly appeared and gently pulled the two nurses back on their feet.

"Tsk, does he always have to act like this? Are you okay, ladies?" His cheerful tone was dropped completely when he turned to face Hisagi Shuhei; there was grimness in his stare as he patted the temp captain on the shoulder and ordered him to at least go fixed himself up in waiting. "Her husband is here now, Hisagi-san"

At the word "husband," the iris of Hisagi flared up and then was dim. He silently went away to another room of the center to catch a shower and decent his appearance, but in his head burnt the image of the woman he loved on the brink of being murdered and the indifferent face of her husband.

* * *

He was permitted to watch as long as he stayed behind the glass, and he did. The movement of captain Unohana and her assistants was all a blur, for in Kuchiki Byakuya's vision beheld the bloodied figure on the operation table: her hair heavy from the water hung like wet drapes over the edge, her plain precious kimono was tattered and crimson. One of the assistants was holding up her wrists while another hovered over them with two healing circles of spirit force; the perfect hands he both detested and praised were crushed at the finger tips and cloaked in the dark red of dry blood. Both wrists were almost severed to the bones as blood weakly leaked out from the veins which Unohana Taichou had quickly healed in the first place. The vermilion color dyed the drape over the table, and started to make its domain on the floor as well. But nothing prepared him for what followed: 

The left side of Helena's fair body looked as if it was munched off by a lion, and to his horror what looked like maw's marks were in fact deep cuts done by sharp weapons of various kinds. They were so deep and vicious he saw a tiny gleaming piece of metal embedded in her partly exposed ribs. His war-trained eyes flinched at this view, and he turned away from the sight of the operation. His lips quivered as his fingers cut into the palms of his hands. Fear or madness shook his posture, forcing him to lean upon the sanitized stone table. He could no longer smell her scent of spring, all that filled his nose was the scent of dread and blood and torn flesh. As if the horror of the next room had managed to creep over the separating glass to invade his sense.

Then he gathered himself and looked upon her once more, this time on her face which appeared untouched. Her nose bridge was straight, her jaws defined, and her lips like petals. Her skin, though drained of rosiness, still retained its luminosity that glowed under the stale white light. Her dark eyelashes sealed shut the pair of startling eyes that resembled the universe; and Byakuya felt never stronger a desire to see them staring at him again, even with loath.

* * *

"Why are you here and not inside, Kuchiki Taichou?" Hisagi questioned the Kuchiki headmaster as he reappeared in the hall after five long hours. His tone was harsh and piercing. 

"The situation has been stabilized. Her life is no longer in danger."

Others were relieved at this news. Kuchiki Byakuya did not, however, share this behavior. Instead he turned aside to ordered the two maids of Kuchiki Naoki Helena to stay and wait for her needs while he was to go back to the manor and then to work. His decision raised the eyebrows of some, but not out of surprise. They only whispered and lamented over the poor wife of his, though just ten hours ago they might have sneered at her name.

When he reached the entrance of the center, his name was cried out with such loath that it halted his steps. Behind him was Hisagi Shuhei, eyes narrowed and mouth sharpened. There seemed to be a great struggle to keep him five paces away from the nobleman.

"Kuchiki Taichou, why are you leaving? Do you not want to stay by her side, by your wife's side?"

"Unohana Taichou informed me she would not be awake for at least a week. Soul Society is at preparation for war, both our clans are in chaos, there is much to be done at work and home."

"HOW COULD YOU SPEAK SO CALMLY OF THIS! --shouted Hisagi-- Did you...see how badly she was assaulted? Why did you let her out alone at dark without any escort?"

"I do not have to explain myself with lowly commoners like you." He turned away and resumed his steps. A tearing sound of air, and his sword was unsheathed against the bare blade of Hisagi Shuhei. Their clash bounced on the tall walls, and its metal screech carried far and wide.

"I cannot believe... that I thought Helena would be happy in your care. --There was anguish in the Ninth division's captain's face as he spoke-- It's my fault... that she is in misery and terribly wounded like this. Kuchiki Byakuya, you do not deserve her. --He gripped the hilt of his zanpakuto-- I WILL TAKE HER AWAY FROM YOU!"

He swung his sword down again as Byakuya's mouth opened. "Scat..." Then everything came to a sudden stop as even the leaves ceased falling.

Over Kuchiki Byakuya's mouth was the hand that belonged to Ukitake Jushiro, and on the broken tile was the head of Hisagi Shuhei's blade that was knocked down by Kyouraku Shunsui. They had come as fast as the wind after catching the faint but undeniably sharp sound of swords clashing. Unlike their normal attitudes, these faces appeared to be stern as steel, and also very troubled.

"What do you two think you are doing?" Asked Shunsui. When Hisagi made a gesture to answer, he was cut off by a threatening command. "That is not a question, Captain Hisagi! Tsk, someone dared to barbarically assault Kuchiki and Naoki First Lady in the middle of Seireitei and you two are quarreling over personal matters?"

"Who was the one started this?" Ukitake inquired; his gentle eyes were strict as Hisagi Shuhei bowed in confession. "I understand why you felt Kuchiki Taichou was unjust in his decision. But as an officer, do you not know that we need to keep everything in orders at this chaotic time? Creating a commotion over personal reasons and even drawing sword against another captain, this will require some discipline, Captain Hisagi! --Then with a regretful tone, he continued-- You owe Kuchiki Taichou your apology."

This seemed to struck Hisagi Shuhei in his heart, and for a moment, both Ukitake and Shunsui was tense in anticipation that he would again make use of his katana. But with great restrain and dignity, Hisagi turned to the direction of Kuchiki Byakuya and lowered his head.

"Please forgive my rashness, Kuchiki Taichou"

Giving the messy dark hair the slightest of a glance, Byakuya's body melted into the thin air and vanished from the ground.

* * *

"_HOW COULD YOU SPEAK SO CALMLY OF THIS!"_

The scream of Hisagi pierced into his ears as the ground flied under his feet with the speed of wind. His chest carried an enormous weight, and he could not seem to shrug it off like an uncomfortable baggage._Who does he think he is?_His jaws came together. '_It's my fault... that she is in misery and terribly wounded like this.' How arrogant! Your fault? You spoke like she were yours, like she belonged to your care, your responsibility! _Then the accusation came to his mind. _No, it's my fault she got this way! How could I let her go out alone in the dark, knowing that some threats were present? _He remembered how last morning she had bitten her hand in worries, and how he had told her not to trouble herself with them. He recalled her laying beside him, glowing like an ivory goddess clad with gold under sunlight, and the terror of her sight on the operation table, stained and soaked in the vermilion and stench of blood. A roof tile broke under his feet. _Helena..._

_'Kuchiki Byakuya, you do not deserve her.'_

Maybe he didn't. He was the one who brutally rejected her and doubted her sincerity, even her fidelity. He was the one who shamelessly took advantage of her body and heart. _I WILL TAKE HER AWAY FROM YOU_. Byakuya halted his flash steps in the middle of the sky. As he looked down, he saw that somehow he was led to Helena's quarter at the Naoki mansion. From atop, he saw the beautiful gardens, the elegant skylight, the graceful colors of halls and windows and floors, and the musical fountains. He saw the sakura blossoms carried by the currents to the open blue. He saw everything she loved and everything he had come to love. From his throat a painful sound came out, and a single drop of tear fell from his grey eyes to the peaceful pond below, stirring the watery mirror.

* * *

The woman on the bed was in a coma, though her lost of consciousness did not mar her quiet beauty. Sleep brought out her softer features and carved her face with gentle serenity. Only when one looked at the amount of her body that was covered with bandages that one knew what terror had fallen upon. 

"She will wake up in about a week. We shall have to thank Hisagi Taichou for bringing her here in such short time, otherwise all my effort would have been futile. --everyone bowed to Hisagi-- Judging from the hideous nature of this, we shall have to start an investigation. Her wounds were dealt with the intention to torture, as well as to kill. They definitely came from a shinigami with great experience. I have tried to trace the spirit force left on the wounds and even on the piece of blade we found, but there is none."

* * *

After the report, Unohana Retsu pulled her patient's husband to the side. She had never looked so upset, and her words ripened with fear and urgency. 

"Kuchiki Taichou, I think you need to know more than anyone what danger your wife was in. The attacks fell on places on her body that concentrates blood-carrying-veins. It appears that the attacker knew intimate informations concerning your wife and had planned this assault, though I do not know how he could be sure that she would be alone two nights ago. --_I have to discuss more with Ukitake Taichou about this_-- Kuchiki Taichou, Helena-sama suffered the same condition as her mother: unlike us normal shinigami, their blood is their life force. If it weren't for the fact that she was a medical shinigami and had healed part of her vital wounds herself, I'm afraid that she would not still be alive. --The violet of Unohana's eyes darkened-- I do not know how someone would have known this, for it was kept secret since her birth; and among the people who know, I cannot think of anyone who would betray us. Kuchiki Taichou, the only other person that could have known is Hiroshi Tono, your sensei. Of course this was just rumor, but Helena's mother was said to be related to him."

"That is rubbish. He has been the sensei for twenty-eight headmasters of Kuchiki clan. As you might have heard, he is a direct descendant of the heavenly guards that set up Soul Society. His time is beyond measure of a shinigami, but he cannot have any offsprings."

"It also means that he is not a normal shinigami. The abnormality is all we have that ties them together! I am not clear on this matter either, but I think I have heard the late Naoki Headmaster called him 'uncle'"

The head of the Kuchiki Clan was in deep thoughts afterward. He stayed silent despite the urging of the woman before him. Then in the end he nodded in agreement that he would take on the investigation himself. They came back to the patient room, and next to her bed was Hisagi Shuhei. He was holding on to her hands, his eyes filled with sorrow and love, reciting some familiar poems Byakuya thought he had heard not so long ago.

_Sleep, my Beloved,_

_Sleep like a thousand trees_

_singing for a thousand years_

_in a forest... _

Hisagi insisted to have a big window next to her bed and had brought many bonsai to the room. He positioned himself close to her, watching her chest inflating with breath and flattening with exhale. This reminded him of an afternoon very long ago in the out-skirt of Rukongai, when she had laid there awaiting a kiss from her beloved. How he wished he could have changed the past! How he wished he had never left her there forever by the bamboo forest!

"Kuchiki Taichou, you are leaving?" The Kuchiki headmaster turned himself away after a moment watching Hisagi Shuhei on his wife's bedside.

"She already has someone to watch over her. I'm going to attend to other businesses." With that spoken, he cleared out of the room.


	21. Chapter 21

"This is not a simple matter, Commander. Someone assaulted Kuchiki Naoki Helena right in the middle of Seireitei and badly wounded her. We are much too focus on Aizen's betrayal and have loosen our watch among Soul Society's order."

"Hm... Whatever it might be, this matter comes from the heart of nobility. We should let them handle it themselves." Yamamoto sternly replied.

"But..." Ukitake started to protest, but was silenced with a loud thud on the wooden floor.

"I have given Kuchiki Taichou the permission to do as he pleases. This discussion is closed!"

**Chapter 21: Betrayal**

Her eyes still fastened, and her pale cheeks rested on a face whose features had become gaunt. Kuchiki Naoki Helena slept the longest sleep in her life, not knowing that there was a man by her side, not knowing that she was not alone in her coma.

Hisagi Shuhei was grounded from his duty for ten days as a form of discipline, but he couldn't have taken it happier._ At least I can be by your side now, when you need me the most._ Three more days had passed, and Kuchiki Byakuya had not visited his wife since. He sent her servants, but not himself; nor did he ask for reports of her health._ When you wake up, Helena, I shall take you away from him. You will no longer have to suffer. _Hisagi whispered into the ears of the woman he loved.

* * *

Byakuya closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of his wide-framed chair. In his lap was the inventory list, on his table was small mountains of paperwork and a schedule that needed approval. His lips were dry and the tea had cooled beyond being drinkable. Still he sipped a bit of that stale liquid, deeming how much time it would save from asking for a new one._ It would be no good anyway!_ Nothing tasted as good ever since she was gone. 

Sometimes, especially at times like this, he wanted to see her; but even a single glimpse of Helena reminded him of his mistake, of his failure, of his inhumanity. He had failed to keep his promise of protecting her, he had brutally pained her heart, and he had foolishly let her alone walking into danger._ No, I don't have time for guilt. There are many to be done, and guilt has no place now._ Maybe later he would ask for her forgiveness, or atone for this burn inside his chest; but not now. He smelled the scarf around his neck to catch some left over fragrance of her from weeks ago, but there was none. Nothing comforted him except the flickering light that soon went to nothingness as his lids came shutting down.

_'He held her close, so close that they became one. The sky closed into a dome above them, blue and true. The field beneath was freckled with Chinese bell flowers, and the air was pure and free. He looked at her gentle face that matched with the frailty of her body. 'We finally are married!' He muttered. She smiled at him in such a fashion that melted his cold heart. Byakuya could stay like this forever, with the woman he loved in his embrace. In the middle of his happiness __appeared __a woman. Her face was fair and stern, her features noble, but sadness stricken her dark eyes. She was crying tears of blood; as he looked on, the left side of her body suddenly tore itself away from her. And pouring upon them three was a crimson rain with the unmistakable stench of flesh.'_

He woke up in the middle of the night. Sweats covered his brows. Everything was silent except for the tinkle of candle fire and burning wax. The feel of blood was still on his skin, so was the smell of it, and his office grew so ever suffocating. The shadow seized his heart, then a wind came, bearing with it an air fresh and young._ Hisana, is that you?_ The small breeze calmed his heart, and Byakuya got back to work. He had taken charge of the trading company of the Naoki clan in Helena's stead, and this task proved to be more demanding than he had ever imagined. He looked down on the management book again: there were thousands of items divided into many categories. Some were mandatory, some were novelty, some were special orders. Shipments must be made timely to ensure best possible quality, and the quantity must be carefully calculated. On top of that, the schedule of transporting, shipping, delivery, etc, was incredibly tight and precise --even more demanding than the duty schedule of his squad. There were always negotiations, contracts, haggles to deal with, then the matter of budget, salary, pricing, storage as well.

Yet the book on his lap recorded perfectly every single detail, as well as every decision or plan carried out concerning the business. Despite the complexity, the person who ruled this company had managed to keep everything going smoothly and efficiently. Byakuya could find no fault in the intricate pattern that was set up, in which every problem was rightly and timely fixed. The Naoki Trading Company grew bigger every single day, and yet the organization remained tight. _This is not a work of a mere manager but of a president! _Commented Byakuya, and found in himself new respect and admiration for the woman whom he called wife. Then he recalled her rigid posture, her clenched jaws, and her sharp eyes leaning over this book. He remembered the familiar cover on her vanity table in the chamber, on the stand next to the bathtub, and inside her personal maid's hands whom she took with her everywhere. On the milky pages were many letters that were neatly written, the calligraphy clear and elegant: the handiwork of someone who had high schooling. _Aside from doing this, she also flavored my fish and prepared my tea... Taking care of my own household...__And I have never heard her complain. _He pressed the soft paper to his lips, and found again that scent of spring he thought had abandoned him._ Helena... _And for the first time in such a long time, a treasure shone inside his heart.

_...One week later..._

There was only nothingness before her eyes, deep and without sound. An orb of complete devoid enveloped her transparent body, her limbs felt scattered. The space around her stood afloat and invisible, disconnected from the flow of time. Then suddenly she realized there was darkness, a soft and tired darkness for rest and contemplation. Helena heard now the very low beating of her own heart, in each beat a throb. She felt the touch of air, and smelled the fragrance of orchids. She felt breathes around her, and knew that light was there. _I need to open my eyes. _The eyelids stayed shut. Her command died at the brain. _Open. You fools. Open. _They fluttered and closed again. _Slowly. Open. _Her body wanted to sleep, to take this weight and plunge into an eternity without gravity. _No, I can't sleep. I need to open my eyes. _With a great groan inside her brain, Kuchiki Naoki Helena's eyelids started to move upward, revealing a pair of startling dark eyes.

And the veil was lifted.

"Unohana Taichou, she has opened her eyes!" A familiar voice rang. With the slightest twist of her neck, Helena turned to catch the sight of Hisagi Shuhei: his hair was messy, the three vertical scars ran down his left side, and his eyes red from missing sleep. The corners of his mouth was quivering, and there was safety and warmth in his gaze. _Shuhei..._

A hand placed itself on her forehead, and without seeing, Helena knew from the touch who was it. "Helena-san, we're glad that you have woken" She wanted to nod at reply, but found the movement impossible. "Do not move, Helena-san, you have a lot of deep wounds at vital joints. You need to lie in bed for at least five more days"_Actually, you are healing up incredibly fast. _Unohana reminded herself.

He came in utter silence, and only Unohana Taichou's announcement registered his presence in the room. Her eyes dashed to the sight of Kuchiki Byakuya: his uniform was still on, and his face stoic. The sun was resting on her, and the fragrance of many flowers created a lovely atmosphere. His ash vision stopped at the man who was sitting next to the bed as the man's eyes also returned his stare. Then he walked toward the woman who was barely awake, noting how much thinner she had become. Yet there was some qualities being brought out by her coma: something gentle, fragile, and noble: like suffering, but the kind of suffering that was caused by too much love. The woman he married had never looked so weak or frail, like a baby bird just left the womb of its mother. Her lips opened, and out came scattered broken words:

"The business...book...needs..." The light in her pupils grew dim, and her temperature was suddenly rising. Still she made a futile attempt to reach out. "Book...give me...need..." Then a masculine hand was over her eyes, tenderly but determinedly closing them. She heard a voice, which sounded further and further away, comforting her back into the arms of sleep.

"Shipments were dispatched, deliveries are being made on time. Everything is being done according to your plan! --at her final shake, he added-- I'm looking over everything. Go back to sleep." He sat on the bed, his lips to her ears. His words were little more than whispers, spoken like a lullaby. Helena relaxed her muscles and drifted back to sleep on the gentle boat that voice sent her. She knew that voice... _in a remote place somewhere... existed in a man somewhere._.. She couldn't think anymore...

Seeing how her breathing had steadied, Kuchiki Byakuya stood up from the white bed and headed for the door. He wanted to stay a bit more, to listen to the small sounds of her again, to be sure that she was here and alive. He wanted to touch her and smell her, to be melted in the morning of an eternal spring with millions sakura blossoms. But he couldn't, there was something needed to be done. Something that he had hesitated to do. Byakuya looked at her once more: her magnolia skin illuminated in the glow of slumber hour, and her folded lips slightly parted like fine petals on the verge of blossoming. He knew then that he would have to do the thing he so dreaded. So he turned to the man who was still holding his wife's hand, and said coarsely:

"Make use of yourself and take care of her."

* * *

The room was spacious and very clean, decorated with pure white banners. On the left side sat the elders of the Naoki clan, on the right side elders of the Kuchiki clan. Apart from them sat a young man, a shinning Kenseikan set on his jet black hair. He wore a black kimono that gave off a deep purple sheen, around his neck wrapped the most expensive scarf in Soul Society. His face was pale and square, his mouth stale, and the charcoal color of his eyes gleamed silver. His seat located on a pedestal a few steps above the floor and was covered with silk. Behind him was a great tapestry that swallowed up the whole back wall with many poems written on it. The smell of ceremonial incense filled the air. 

In front of every elder was a table with a single cup of saike –a type of wine in Soul Society that had incomparable taste and aged usually for four hundreds years. In front of the young nobleman was a cup of saike as well, but his cup was made out of a precious metal that seemed to shimmer vibrantly even in the remoteness of the scene. This cup was said to be made using the same metal that made up Soul Society's first zanpakuto. It held the power to turn even plain water into the best of wine, and the sweetest of honey into deadly poison. To drink from the cup was the final test in the trials to become a house's headmaster.

The young noble raised it to his lips as everyone did the same. He hesitated for a second, knowing that the first drop would take away that little treasure sparkled just now inside his heart. Then with a tragic spark in his eyes, he drank up. The liquid ran like silk on his tongue, but soaked a deep taste inside his throat. It tasted like no wine, but some spiritual substance that embodied the complexity of the past: a rush of world at the dawn of its creation. This power took over him for a second, but then everything became clear again.

When all the cups were empty, the elders stood up and bowed to their master as the air shook, for this was the place where the name Naoki forever demolished. From this day forward, the two clans became one under the ruling of one headmaster: Kuchiki Byakuya.

* * *

"Do you find me despicable, Senpai?" Byakuya asked the white hair man behind him, his eyes toward the sky. 

"You've done what you deem needed to be done. There is nothing for me to scorn you."

_She lived for that clan, but they repaid her with only betrayal and spite. She almost died because of them._ The sight of Helena's ivory body smeared with crimson blood grew inside him. "I destroyed the name she loves most, and even stole from her the position of headmaster, something I promised her not to do. I do not think there is any atonement for what I've done."

His back flatten to a black board against the musky sunset.

"Kuchiki Taichou, you did those things to protect her from further danger, because you wish for her happiness" Ukitake's voice was very low, like the subtle transition of that bright orange canvas into the smooth velvet blue of night.

_Happiness? If I wished for her happiness, I would have released her from me. Instead, I drew her closer and closer, even though I am incapable to love her._ The loathing stare of Hisagi Shuhei stirred in his memory._ I do not care what everyone thinks of me. No, why should I care?... I know that she will never forgive me._

They both looked at the first sparkle that appeared on the ever-changing sky. In each heart was full of uncertainty and weight. They could feel in the wind the murmur of a more challenging time and taste in its sharp breeze the coming of danger. Among the rustles of leaves, they heard faintly the chatter of enemies, laughing in satisfaction and ready to strike. But most of all Kuchiki Byakuya felt a terrible longing that contained both despair and bitterness. He closed his eyes to recapture the vision of a two-globes universe that used to look upon him with such love, the smile that was his favorite with its warmth and grace. He wished to forever remember the feeble gaze that moved him to the edge of insanity. For he doubted if there would be a second time after today.


	22. Chapter 22

She was enraged when the messenger --a messenger, not even an elder, or her so-called husband who had not even visited her once-- informed her of what had happened. She remembered grabbing the nearest vase and threw it violently at him. She recalled the scattering bodies of crushed blooms and the pools of water on the floor. Her two maids stopped her from getting out of bed, yelling and begging. "Helena-sama, please, the broken pieces of porcelain... Please, you still haven't fully recovered!"

_What? What do you mean? What do you mean saying that I am now Kuchiki Helena? 'The Naoki clan is no more' you said? That can't be! _

With sudden strength, she shoved aside both of her maids. Ren managed to grip her mistress's sleeve and received a hard slap to her left cheek, throwing her into the night stand. Helena stood up, towering over the messenger who was now in panic at the fury of Naoki former headmaster. She was about to struck at him when her wrist was caught in the hand of Kuchiki Byakuya.

**Chapter 22: Kuchiki**

"Why are you out of bed? --He inquired-- And why are you attacking my messenger?"

"The elders... they have done it! --she cried-- He told me that the Naoki clan is no more. We must do something!"

"The elders did not do this, I myself ordered the merger as the official Headmaster." Said he, his eyes were hard. Everything was blank.

_What...you?..._The morning they spent together went up in smoke, and the inside of Helena crumbled into dust. _You?...How could you... _

"But... you promised. YOU PROMISED ME! --She grasped his kimono with both hands, tears rolling down her hot ivory cheeks-- You liar, how could you... YOU DECEIVED ME! This is what you planned all along, isn't it? Taking over our clan, You Kuchiki dogs!"

She was hitting him with her bandaged hands, but Helena felt like it was her heart that received the blows. _How could I have been so naive? This man... who doesn't love me, who never wanted to marry me to begin with, why would he be suddenly defending me? _Her teeth clamped upon the pale lips, and from the cut blood oozed out. _Falling in love with him...How could I have been so stupid?_

"Yes. --He nodded-- I ordered the merge of the two clans and put myself into the position of headmaster. This is for your own good, Helena"

"Even if it means betraying me?"

"Yes. --He firmly replied-- Even if it means I have to betray my promise." He looked at her in the white kimono of a patient, her bony features poked through the pale skin, then gently wiped her lips and touched her right cheek with the back of his hand; his tone softened: "You're thinner than before, and you are still weak. Return to bed!"

She slapped his hand away. _For my own good? Ridiculous. How is taking away something I lived for, something that made up my existence, for my own good? _His touch reminded her of a time not so far away when she had thought they were happy or could be happy. Such time was now so lost! Pain was shooting up along the left side of her body. Helena felt every piece of her flesh inflamed and torn, her throat ready to burst. _Damn this body! _She cursed as her legs gave out.

Byakuya quickly took her up in his arms, noticing the broken pieces of porcelain laying around on the floor. _She is much lighter. _His heart squeezed, and malice filled his stare as he thought of the faceless attacker, but his grasp around her was tender like an embrace. Slowly he walked toward the bed, dragging out the precious little time when he could have her in his arm, inhaling her scent of spring, like fresh dawn under a cherry tree jeweled with dews. _I'm your husband, Helena. I will cherish you, protect you, and honor you. Make no mistake of that!_ He tucked her into the bed.

"If you want to hit me properly, then rest properly. I will give orders to move you out of here next week." At his last consolation, she turned to face the sky.

He stepped away from her, then left after leaving behind a long look. Her maids were carefully cleaning up the mess in the room when Ren gathered up her courage: "Forgive me, Mistress, but the reason why Byakuya-sama didn't make frequents visits to you is because he has been taking care of the company in your stead. I heard he also is in charge of the investigation of your assault as well... He must not have rested for days!"

"He's doing it because it is his duty as my husband." She heard an echo. '_These are our bonds, and we act according to them. I cannot give you more than these' What was the appropriate expression for this? To be humiliated and doubted, to be rejected and denied, to be assaulted and wounded, to be betrayed and neglected, how should one react to such things?_ Love and hate fused in her veins, coursing through her mended body. Her heart was bleeding like a flood. _Unloved, unwanted, unneeded, is this your fate, Kuchiki Naoki Helena? No, I'm not a Naoki anymore. My clan is ruined now. _"People like him -_like me-_only understand pride. To leave me dead or broken would surely mar his reputation."

"No...that...that's not it! --her closest maid yelled out, shaking since it was the first time she ever defied her mistress-- Byakuya-sama takes care of the business because he knows how much it means to you, Helena-sama. He was watching behind the glass while Unohana Taichou was healing you. He pushed pass everyone's opposition just to be that much closer to your side that night! Byakuya-sama sincerely cares about you, Mistress. He must have had a reason for the merger. He must have thought that it would put you out of danger."

"And since when are you an expert in understand the thoughts of nobilities, Ren? --Her eyebrows came together-- Did he actually confirm any of those ideas, or are they just in your own imagination?"_ Foolish girl, I have his words. His words that tell me I am no more than a duty to him. His heart belongs to someone _else. Light penetrated her pupils and caused them to contract._ I can't be generous like you, Unohana-san, to accept another woman so easily._ Her look turned stern as steel._ And he betrayed me. Whatever the reason, he betrayed me. _

"Byakuya-sama is a man with few words, but we can see in his eyes how much he lo..."

"ENOUGH! I have no patience for this anymore. --She snapped at the mere sound of that loathsome word. Then hiding her expression, her tone softened-- Rather than spending time defending that man, you should be taking a look at yourself."

The loyal maid touched her own cheek, the one that got slapped earlier, and her own shoulder, which was dislocated because of the shove. She bowed to her beloved mistress: "These injuries are nothing, Helena-sama needs not to worry."

"I'm not worried. -She immediately corrected her personal servant- Just fix yourself up so you will not prove useless to my service. That includes you, Rei!" Said Helena, not looking at them. The two maids smiled, each one in very different ways, and finished cleaning up the broken pieces of porcelain.

_...One more week passed..._

"Unseated officer Rukia Kuchiki of the Thirteenth division is here, Ukitake-Taichou." A petit girl kneeled near the entrance, in her wide eyes was confusion.

Ukitake fixed his blanket and managed to sit up straight to greet his subordinate. A coughing surge attacked him last night and still left him fatigue. His voice sounded lower and scratchier than normal.

"Rukia, do you know the reason why I called you back from your mission?"

"The messenger told me it was due to a disturbance in my clan." She quickly answered.

Her Captain smiled at her eager attitude. _She really is quick and smart. _Then his expression got heavier. "The truth is actually more serious, Rukia. While you were gone, many strange things had happened inside Soul Society." Continued Ukitake. "First there was the Naoki attempted abdication, among with many disagreements and opposes between Kuchiki and Naoki clans. Then just three weeks ago, your sister-in-law, Helena-san, was horridly assaulted."

Rukia's face was covered in sweats as he told her the gruesome details of the assaults. How the cuts were dealt with the intention to torture and to kill. How pieces of blades were found embedded in Helena's flesh and bones due to the vicious attacks. How the left side of her upper body looked like it was munched off. "Who could have planned such a barbaric assault on a noble with such high status as Naoki Helena, Ukitake Taichou? Security around her is always tight." She exclaimed, remembering the strong and intimidating woman whom she had encountered.

"It's Kuchiki Helena, Rukia. Last week, Kuchiki Taichou had ordered a merger of two clans, and the name Naoki is now no more." Grimly said the man who had survived many grows and ruins.

"But...the demolishment of a noble clan...this is not something to be taken lightly."

"Exactly, Rukia. That is why I called you back from the Human World. --His grey eyes gleamed-- Kuchiki Taichou's marriage is to bond the two clans, there is originally no need for a merger! It troubles me to think that we are actually being manipulated by a hidden enemy, and I'm afraid things will get worse.

"Rukia, what do you think of your sister-in-law?" At her very long silence and her intent stare at the tatami mats, he chuckled. "Ah...I guess Helena-san does not leave you with a good impression of her after all."

"Onee-sama is very much like Onii-sama" Rukia said timidly as her Captain laughed aloud.

"They are, aren't they? --A violent urge to cough immediately ceased his laughter-- Do you not find it strange that despite being terribly alike, those two couldn't get any closer?"

"I was away for most of their marriage, so..."

"I do not blame you, Rukia, I just want to tell you my thoughts. --His voice was gentle and noble again-- The night Helena-san was assaulted, she was traveling without guards. Kuchiki Taichou, I deem, is not careless enough to let his wife be without escorts while he is aware that someone is prying on her. The enemy must have planned something that led them both to forget the situation" His gaze deepened.

"Rukia, I know you probably do not think well of Helena-san. --He raise one hand to silence her protest-- I cannot beseech you to know her better, or to be understanding of her. Helena-san is not the kind of person to be afraid of being misunderstood or hated. In fact, I do not think she gives much thoughts and regards to others. --He touched his chest, and something filled his eyes-- But her devotion to orders and her clan also is an evidence of a passionate side of her to the things, or the people she loves. And Rukia, she loves your brother dearly."

Rukia couldn't believe what she was hearing: the woman who had defied and hated her brother, the woman who was so severe and strict, the woman who looked like a flower among snow, frozen in ice, despite the dawning of sunlight; she was in love with him this whole time? Her disbelief must have been very apparent, for Ukitake immediately explained.

"For some people, being able to express love properly is a hardship. Helena-san probably thinks of her love as a weakness, not something to be cherished. Though I know for a fact that she truly loves Kuchiki Taichou"

"Taichou...why are you telling me this?"

"Because you three are one family now. And I guess... I've been thinking of you as her sister."

_Sister? _Rukia almost coughed. She remembered the leer Kuchiki Helena had given her the first time they met. She remembered the cold voice and the questionable invitation. In Helena's eyes, Kuchiki Rukia must have looked like a lice, sucking onto the Kuchiki's wealth and status._ Nobles are never friendly toward people with lowly upbringings like me. _

"Taichou, I am Kuchiki Hisana's sister, who was the first wife of my brother, the cause of Helena's betrothal cancelation. Shouldn't she hate me?"

"Like I said, Rukia, Helena-san makes a worse impression of herself than she actually is!"_ She is without a doubt someone who is deprived of self-understanding._ "She probably thinks of herself the way you are thinking of her right now. In reality, she is not quite so cold, and things have changed a lot since you've been gone. Love can change a woman, Rukia"

Ukitake's explanation did not convince the little girl. _So she loves Onii-sama, what does it have to do with me? It's not like I play any part in their relationship! _Then something dawned in Rukia's mind. _Wait, she loves my brother, but..._

"But does Kuchiki Taichou love his wife as she loves him?" Having read her mind, Ukitake followed. "Maybe, maybe not. He loved your sister, and loves her still. To be in love with Helena, in the eyes of someone like Kuchiki Taichou, must seem like a betrayal of his love for Hisana."

"Taichou, you are speaking as if Hisana is the reason why they haven't gotten closer to each other."

"Do not put ill thinking into my words! --He suddenly grew stern. And Rukia was instantly reminded that the man before her was not only respectable, but powerful.-- I mean to tell you that there is a problem in their relationship, something a cunning enemy can easily take advantage of, as he/she already did.

"Kuchiki Taichou took on the investigation himself, and so far has refused to let anyone in on it. I guess he wants to settle this matter without a big scandal. For someone who has always insisted that nobilities need to follow common procedures like everyone else, this must mean that Kuchiki Taichou had a suspect in mind, and that the suspect belongs in nobility as well. The situation grows more dangerous if the enemy is from the inside, as I'm sure you still remember."

Yes, everyone still remembered. Aizen Sosuke, a captain they all had loved and trusted, betrayed them all. He had infiltrated their barriers, captured their hearts, then shattered everything. It was one lesson too painful to forget.

"What would you command me do, Sir?" The girl lifted her head, in her eyes shone courage and determination.

"Nothing. I would not command you to do anything. --Ukitake returned her look-- You may do as you see fit, Rukia. Maybe not as a shinigami, but as a sister this time."

..._A sister?..._


	23. Chapter 23

The grave was very beautiful but also very lonely: the stone work exquisite, but the trees and bonsai thirsting for water and maintenance. The more one looked at it, the more it looked like a shrine that had ceased to have visitors. Dust settled into thick layers on the packets of incenses which were half full. Kuchiki Byakuya stood staring at the pair of golden eyes that still glimmered behind the glass frame.

"_Byakuya-sama, please take good care of my daughter." Said the shinigami. Though his companion was merely a child, Hokunara spoke to him with as much respect as he would pay to any nobleman._

"_You have a daughter, Hokunara-sama?" The boy was very pale, his hair was jet black. His features, though pleasant to the eyes, bore a great sense of authority._

"_Yes, and she will be someone very special to you someday." Hokunara smiled, thinking about his about-to-be-born daughter. "You will make her the happiest of woman, Byakuya-sama"_

**Chapter 23: The Fairy Tale**

"_Why are you here, Hokunara-sama?" The young boy asked. "Your sleeves are covered in dirt!"_

"_I'm fertilizing the earth. Trees need nutritions to grow. --The nobleman smiled. His smile was gentle and almost quiet.-- Byakuya-sama also likes to visit public gardens I see?"_

"_I come here because you built this one." The young boy frowned at Hokunara. It was not befitting, the young heir thought, for a noble headmaster to enjoy gardening rather than governing his clan._

* * *

He took the duster and swept away the thick grasps of dust, then lit an incense but said no prayers. What could he possibly say to the man whom he had failed? The wind whispered, but he was alone. He was alone in a middle of many trees calling for their mistress. _I couldn't protect your daughter. And I couldn't even console her. _He scanned through the sombre setting: since Helena was injured, no one had come to do their service to the grave. He grabbed the water-can and started to shower all the cracked boughs and browning leaves in sight. As soon as the water seeped into the soils, a smell came up so strong it stunned him for a moment. It was a fresh and earthy smell, like the fragrance of blossoms releasing their scent into the air moisture, and it made him think of her. 

"What a rare sight! My little Byakuya is paying his elder some respect." A voice so deep it rumbled. "I guess guilt works wonder on you."

"This place has turned into a disgrace." His back greeted the oldest being in Soul Society with a shrug.

"You mean you do not want your wife to see her father's grave in this condition" Hiroshi Tono scratched his long beard, though his eyes sparkled, his tone was humorless.

"It is none of your concern" He put down the water-can, and quickly turned to face his mentor. "Why are you here, Sensei?"

There was a hint of hesitation before the wrinkled eyes of Hiroshi Tono shimmered with a love so full and heartbreaking. Ages thrust upon his brows, and one can indeed see he was ancient, a being existing beyond the normal circle of life and death. He folded his hands into his long sleeves with scattered clouds sewn at the hem. Then with a sigh, he said:

"I'm here to visit my son-in-law"

* * *

"Horomaru-sama, are you sure about this?" 

"I am Byakuya-sama's sole uncle, it is my priority to ensure the quality of his linage."

"But... Helena-sama was chosen by Tono Sensei as Byakuya-sama's destined bride."

"Hoshi, do you know of the supreme rules concerning a shinigami's relations?" Horomaru brought his face closer to the loyal elder, and in turn imparted a feeling of horror. "We are forbidden to form relationships with human!"

"Are you telling me that Helena-sama is half-human?"

The smile of Horomaru glittered with malice. "Worse. She is the offspring of a shinigami and a soulless thing!"

* * *

"This is rubbish. You cannot procreate!" His eyes darkened with anger, and the wind suddenly grew strong around them. "How could you have produced a daughter?" 

"My blood has the power of life. I used my blood to bring alive a creature of his desire."

_A creature? _"So your daughter was not a soul?" He was puzzled.

"No, she was not a living thing. --Then looking straight into his pupil's eyes, he said-- She was a cherry blossom tree that Hokunara had fallen in love with."

"A...tree?" Something terrible formed inside his mind, and the earth seemed to shake beneath his feet. "No... that is not possible to give form and soul to a nonliving thing, not even with your power!"

"I couldn't give her a perfect soul. She did not have the ability to speak, nor does she have emotional expressions, as you also know" Hiroshi Tono took a step forward, his body grew immense and his stare grew vast, as if the mountains had somehow risen up against the open sky into a dome closing around the confused young headmaster.

"What do you mean that I also know?" At the question, his Sensei issued a scoff. "Sensei, I demand from you an answer!"

"You are as slow as always, little Byakuya. --Hiroshi straightened his stand-- Very well, my daughter's name is Senbonzakura: wife of Naoki Hokunara, mother of Naoki Helena, and currently the soul of your zanpakuto"

* * *

_The field was freckled with pink petals, quiet and barren except for a tall sakura tree in the middle of nowhere. Kuchiki Byakuya could smell the faint fragrance of spring, and he called out into the falling blossoms:_

"_Senbonzakura, I need to speak with you!"_

_In a blink of an eye, he was transferred to the base of the tree. Then from the trunk appeared a woman, clad in a long kimono that had no end. She bore an empty face, as if the smile he once saw had evaporated into thin air. Senbonzakura spoke no words, not unless she absolutely had to._

_'Hair as unruly and long as the waves, skin as smooth as petals and as fair as snow, the arched and strong eyebrows' The resemblances were uncanny. As much as he wanted to deny everything he heard and saw, he was forced to admit that the woman in front of him possessed many characteristics of Naoki Helena, sharper and perhaps purer, but similar nonetheless. Now he understood why her scent reminded him of spring, why her eyes made him think of the universe, why she had in her the feeling of eternal. For Helena carried in her the flowing energy of earth and of life. _

"_Senbonzakura, did you smile at me because I married your daughter at last?"_

_His soul-slayer opened her mouth, but no sound came. Instead, a rumbling noise filled his ears, and Byakuya found himself dwelling deep in a tunnel escaping the landscape of dreams._

* * *

He looked up at his mentor again, and found an expression both loving and mournful. Suddenly he realized that his Sensei was lonely and sad, bearing the blessing of a holly descendant and the burden of a soul unable to create bonds. 

"They paid for breaking the supreme rules. --The old man continued-- Hokunara lost his life to illness, Senbonzakura cursed to remain a soul-slayer. Their daughter, however, suffered the most"

"What do you mean?" His brows came together.

"Do you know why the Naoki elders think of her as an ill omen, Byakuya? Do you know what it feels like to never be whole? Do you know how helpless my granddaughter had felt?" The ancient eyes' luster dulled with sorrow. "She is the only shinigami without a zanpakuto, the only shinigami who would die from blood lost. She knew nothing of her origin, no knowledge why her father had suddenly contracted an illness that would eventually steal him away from her. Growing up under the scrutiny of others, she had no one!"

"Helena is stronger than you think" He remembered the strong jaws, the piercing eyes, and the stern posture. He had come to admire her, to find in her strength and courage: like a safe harbor amidst the storms. _Helena, I had no idea you suffered so much!_

"Personality-wise perhaps, but not against enemies. --Hiroshi inhaled deeply-- That's why I insisted on your marriage, your zanpakuto is the most powerful zanpakuto that can protect her, for nothing is stronger than maternal bonds"

"So that is what you meant by destiny?" The noble headmaster of Kuchiki turned pale in anger. "This is not destined. We are not destined. You LIED, just to get what you want. Sensei, what have you done to get me to marry Helena? Did you..." Before he could finish his sentence, a lightning bowl struck the green patch inches away from where he stood, leaving a dark smoke and a blackened spot on the memorial garden.

"DO NOT ACCUSE ME OF DESPICABLE CRIMES, BYAKUYA!" Hiroshi roared to the winds, his hair and beard great burning flames. "I am your Sensei, I had watched you grow, taught you to speak. The day you married Hisana, I was the one who blessed your union!"

"Please forgive my rash words, Sensei" He hurriedly bowed in realization of his mistake, though pain was pricking his heart._ Hisana. _Her death was fresh, as fresh as yesterday, like a phantom that momentarily was brought back to life.

"You still hasn't accepted her death, has you?" Byakuya heard tenderness in the tone of his teacher. Then Hiroshi Toni sighed. "You are just like Hokunara, Byakuya. You love so narrowly, and your love so binding. Maybe I was wrong to unite you and Helena, but I only wanted happiness for you both."

_Helena... _He felt a strange grip around his throat. He could feel her touch, taste her kisses, and smell her perfume. He could not imagine never having known her, never having experienced life with her, never having quarreled with her. Wasn't he supposed to separate his heart from her? She was his wife, the mistress of his clan, the future mother of his heir. What more could she be to him?

Then he recalled her laying lifelessly on the cold table soaked in blood. He recalled the breaking noise his soul emitted watching her tears running down her pale cheeks. He remembered the nights he had listened quietly to her breaths, her chest falling and rising. His days had grown around her. She had become a part of his present, evolved into something so subtly precious. But was it love? Or was it just a reaction caused by carrying Senbonzakura?

"My granddaughter loves you, Byakuya. But I shall not blame you if you cannot give her your love"

* * *

"Helena, is it alright for you to have visitors?" 

"It is always alright for me to greet you" The sun illuminated on her complexion and dyed her dark pupils in a golden tone. Still wearing the white uniform of a patient, the mistress of Kuchiki appeared no less noble.

"I'm sorry about your clan, Helena"

"I have ceased to mourn, Hisagi. After all, they did not wish for my leadership, but Byakuya-sama's. It is probably the best thing I have done for them"

"But Helena..." She crossed a finger on her lips, signaled him to be silent. "Kuchiki Captain is..."

"Hisagi, do not speak of him anymore!" She felt tired, like how a soldier felt after a long battle. _I'm too exhausted to fight, too exhausted to love and hate. Too tired of everything. _For the first time in her life she felt no will, but a desire to land herself among the invisible, to be diminished into a blue point across that open sky. Nothing was worth holding her back...

_If you wished me to, I would take you away. _Hisagi Shuhei held her hands in his, and her warmth seeping through his skin into his veins broke free all emotions that were imprisoned behind iron bars. Here they were together, hands in hands. "I love you, Helena"

Her shoulder jerked her forward, a force so sudden and so strong it left her frail body breathless. "Hisagi..." His hands tightened around hers. "What are you sayin..."

"I love you, Helena, and have been for a long time. --Hisagi quickened his words, half afraid that this woman would hate him for this untimely confession.-- I wished for you to be happy and that's why I have been keeping silent for all these years."

"Hisagi... don't..." She caressed his face, the face of someone who had carried her in his arms in the heavy rain a month ago, the face of the man who had stayed by her bedside, the face of another being who was giving her his heart. "It's.. It is too late!"

"The future is not lost, Helena. You are free now. You no longer need to answer calls of duties, no longer need to fight against opposes. I will make you happy, Helena!"

She looked into his eyes and saw the reflection of herself. She was bony and pale and plain and rejected, yet this man offered her his love and devotion. Then her thoughts trailed to a vision far away. In her sleep, she dreamed about Kuchiki Byakuya. In each dream, he withdrew further and further away, until his features dissolved across the distance, until his embrace and voice faded into ghostly sensation resounding like echoes. She could no longer see his face, only a wide back. He was looking toward East, his hands reaching for someone beyond the horizon line. Many times she called out his name, but lately in her dreams, she had given up the fight. Instead she stood motionless under the shadowy branches of sakura in full blooms, watching him in a place she could never reach.

She loved Kuchiki Byakuya. Yes, she loved him. And it hurt. "Hisagi.." She leaned closer to him and put their foreheads together. How could she explain to him that whatever happiness had gone beyond her reach? That the only man who could have brought her to euphoria was not him? "You have always made me happy, Hisagi"

"Helena..."

"He is my husband, and I am his wife. We exchanged vows that cannot be broken." The sunlight poured honey upon them. "I am not doing this because of a martyr wish, or because of my responsibilities as Kuchiki First Lady. I am staying because I am Naoki Helena, and Naoki Helena do not run away."

As she whispered those words, tears quietly fell from her lashes on Hisagi's lips. Her lips quivered, and soon her whole body was thrown into tiny shakes. He clutched her into him, enveloped her with the circle of his arms, her cries muffled in the mediocre fabric of his kimono. _Why do you do this to yourself, Helena? _He kissed her hair, and gently lifted her face up to face his.

"I do not offer to help you run away. I offer you liberation, Helena!"

The warmth of his voice brought comfort and safety. Could he make her forget? Could reality be written off as just a dream? He smiled and wiped her tears. The messiness of his hair never bothered her. She touched the three vertical scars on his face, and returned his smile with hers. Her smile was gentle and free as dawn after darkness. She put her head on his square shoulder and closed her eyes. Her lips slightly curved in peace and enrapture. They embraced each other as the glowing light shone over the white wash of the room...

* * *

To the left side of the door stood a man: his iris as deep as the depth of ocean. He listened but did not interrupt them, and as he caught a glimpse of Helena's blissful smile, on his face bloomed shyly a smile that was both sorrowful and joyful. Then dropped from his sleeves to the waxed floor a beautiful sakura bough ready to bloom tied in silk ribbons; he walked away as noiselessly as he had come. 

When his figure had disappeared outside the gate, a man picked up the lovely cherry blossom bough. He put it on his palm which was purpled with scars. Though light infused the hall, his appearance tainted it with darkness.

"Tsk, if I hadn't known any better, I would say you are giving up too soon." Said the man, examined the gift. He brought it to his crooked crimson nose and sniffed: "Ah, do not trouble yourself. Your hardship will soon come to an end, though I admit it took me more time and effort than I have thought."

He twirled the bough between his fingers: it was indeed gorgeous, with blooms just on the verge of blossoming and the young scent of fresh wood and becoming spring. His eyes gleamed as they focused on the carefully chosen sakura bough: a collection of perfection and purity, with no flaws to be found. Horomaru's face revealed a cruel and sadistic satisfaction.

"But then I never expected you to fall in love with her, Kuchiki Byakuya"


	24. Chapter 24

"Helena-san, you should remain here for at least another week" Said Retsu, examining her patient._ You are better protected here._ Received no response, the head of the Medical Center finally gave in. "Since Kuchiki Taichou insisted that you are to be released, I will prescribe some medicines to complete the healing process"

Giving Ren the prescription, Unohana turned to the pale woman on the bed: "Helena-san, even though your injuries have healed, your body still needs time to be fully functional again. Please take regards!"

"Do not wear such a troubled expression on your face, Unohana-san" Helena nodded to her physician. "I will not do anything to worry you."

**Chapter 24: Sunset**

She walked along the hallway with Hanataro, hoping that she would arrive too late, and that her sister-in-law had left the hospital. _Why did he ask of me to go? _Rukia twitched her eyebrow at her brother's bizarre request. She had on her best shinigami uniform, made out of silk—something she only wore for special occasions. Kuchiki Helena would not be frowning at her modest garments now. _Though I bet she would find something else to be picky about._

"This is Helena-sama's room, Rukia-san" Hanataro stopped, and her heart felt from her chest to her stomach. She thanked him, then took a big breath as she opened the door.

"Onee-sama, I have co..."

"You did not ask for permission to enter" A stern voice stopped her body from coming in to the room. Her tiny head looked up, and saw her brother's wife sitting up on the bed. The woman had grown thinner and paler, but that only made her features sharper and the glare of her eyes more piercing. Rukia had no time to react before Helena spoke again: "Where has you learnt to enter a room without permission?"

"Onii-sama sent me here, to help getting you home." She swallowed her nerve and quickly explained the reason for her presence. "He said he would have gone himself if the elders had not commenced an urgent meeting."

The noble woman scoffed at her words, but her stare stayed focused on the small figure in front of it._ The oval face, the big purple eyes, the dark hair, she looks just like a living image of her sister._ Helena pushed over her blanket and left her bed._ It's not enough for him to build an altar for her; he even keeps a living doll to remind himself of her._

Rukia could see the tall figure of Helena coming closer, her shadow hovering over her head. Her hands fisted at either sides as she bowed her head so low all she could see now was a pair of feet in white socks. She bit down her lips in anxiety.

"Ouch!" Rukia uttered a small cry as someone flicked her on the forehead. The flick brought her neck straight up, and before she could bend it down again: a long finger pointed in the middle of her brows, forcing her to look ahead. "Onee-sama..."

"Why do you always look down?" Helena's dark eyes gleamed at her puzzling ones. Rukia felt like she was looking up at the marble statue of a proud goddess. She heard no cruelty or hatred in the tone, just a sense of great authority. "You are also a noble, shouldn't you act proudly as one?"

"I...I...was afraid that I would offend you."

"What offends me is your fearful attitude. You are a Kuchiki noble, and it is time for you to act like one!" Helena straightened up._ She's still a girl. And she is not Hisana. _As Rukia lifted her eyes, she caught an expression as fresh as water on the gaunt face of Kuchiki First Lady. "Shall we leave now?"

"Y..yes, Onee-sama!" She quickly replied, her hands relaxed.

x------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x

"Byakuya-sama, we speak of this matter out of concern for your best interest." Spoke his surrounding elders. The Sixth Division captain narrowed his eyes; his fingers pressed against his temples. "You certainly cannot ignore this information that your uncle had revealed."

"She is still of noble birth." He protested, but it was cut short by Takinawa's cry.

"Her blood is cursed!" Then lowered his voice, Takinawa continued. "Helena-sama has proved herself capable of being your lady, but we cannot take the risk of your heir born from a cursed linage."

"What about my zanpakuto then? Do you suggest I throw it away as well..." Byakuya reached forward the platinum hair Takinawa who, despite being an elder, was in fact younger than the headmaster. "...cousin?"

"The situation is different, Byakuya-sama. --Toshi quickly filled the silence-- We chose your bride with great consideration for the sake of Kuchiki future heir, and Helena-sama definitely does not qualify to bear your child!"

He gripped the arm-rests of his seat, shuddered in anger. "Be careful what you are saying, Toshi!"

"Byakuya-sama, we realize that you have grown attached to her. But you need to re-think the marriage."

"There is nothing to re-think about!" Impatiently he moved from his seat, and all the elders stood up as once. Their eyes beamed with grave determination, almost threatening.

"Byakuya-sama, you broke our rules twice before in the past, and we all looked the other way. But this time we will not accept your refusal to re-think the marriage, since the future is at risk here."

"You need to give us an answer, Byakuya-sama...Byakuya-sama!" Their calls faded into the wind as their headmaster disappeared into thin air with a single step.

x------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x

"Where is your master? Does he not even have the courtesy to greet his wife?" Helena addressed the servants, but they gave each other sly looks instead of answering her question. "Speak!"

"Tell me, what is going on?" Intervened Rukia. "Where is my Onii-sama?"

"Byakuya left in the middle of the meeting this afternoon. The elders are in great distress, and they are discussing among each other in the conference room."

"What is the discussion about?"

"We do not know, Rukia-sama. No one except Byakuya-sama and the elders themselves know what the meeting is about." They quickly bowed and excused themselves as Rukia felt her inside knotting together._Onii-sama walked out in a middle of an important meeting? What on earth is this about?_She turned around to find the figure of her sister-in-law already evaporated.

x------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x

The sun was coming down. Its light slowly ran along the slopes of the mountains, like fire behind a dark cutout. The earth was dyed honey; the petals were like gold-flakes. Kuchiki Byakuya stood among the old sakura trees—at the deep of his eyes laid the last beams of day.

_What am I to do? _His eyes lingered on the fading light. _Is she even mine to keep? Or should I better let her go? _He reached for the hilt of his zanpakuto. _Can you give me any advice, Senbonzakura? She is your daughter after all. _But Senbonzakura was quiet under his touch. No one was able to answer his questions.

"I knew you would be here, Byakuya-sama" Her voice startled him, but at the same time it brought a feeling of peace, also a sense of longing._ She's home! "_I stopped by my father's grave. Thanks for taking care of it when I was gone."

"You said you knew I would be here. -_For you to figure me out, it really isn't a big surprise- _But why do you come here? Are you not mad at what I've done?"

Her patient kimono was traded for a white kimono with real sakura petals sewn at hems. He had come to envision her like this: skin as snow, hair like dark ocean waves, eyes of the universe, and white kimono with simple decorations of a single color. But that vision was getting further and further away.

"I wanted to personally thank you for taking care of my father's grave." She answered, not approaching any closer. Distance spread between them: a path clad with the orange glow of sunset.

Instead of accepting her thanks, he turned away. _Thank me? Why? What have I done to deserve your thanks? _He wanted to take a better look at her, but somehow could not. In his mind imprinted the blissful smile of her in the embrace of Hisagi Shuhei. _Helena, I have never seen your smiling like that._

"The elders need you back at the manor. They want to continue the earlier meeting." She softly delivered the message. It was strange. She thought she wanted to torture him, to never forgive him, to make his days miserable. But seeing him now after a month of separation, her anger seemed to vanish.

_Now I understand how you could have forgiven Father so easily when he fell in love with someone else, Unohana-san. _The sunset poured on her skin, and petals settled on the rich curves of her hair. She stood watching his back behind a curtain of falling blossoms. _ At the end, his heart lies some place I can never reach. _Helena closed her fingers together. _It is my own misfortune to have loved him, and I can only accept it._

"Helena, do you wish that you had married Hisagi instead?"

The topic of his question was so irrelevant and out-of-the-blue that she was inclined to brush it off as a poor joke until the grey of his eyes tightened. "Byakuya-sama, why are you asking me such a question?"

There it was again: jealousy. This thing brew inside his heart like a poison. The fact that he couldn't bring her happiness. The fact that there was a side of her no one could see except Hisagi. The fact that his shoulder was not one that she leaned on. They turned into a sickness that ate away his heart.

"It seems to me that you are always happy to be near him."

"Byakuya-sama, if I hadn't known better, I would say you are jealous." She reached out one milky hand and touched his smooth cheek. The moon had already made a faint silver line on the blueness of the sky, and the sunset had come to an end. _This surely reminds me of our first private meeting._Here, among the cherry blossoms trees, they met.

Her finger teased the tail of his eye as their bodies came closer to each other. He did not protest her touch, but leaned toward the warm palm that was caressing his features under the pallid moon. If this time was the last time...

When the first star glimmered on the cobalt sky, he understood then his heart. Here, on the ground that Helena's father had built and nourished, Kuchiki Byakuya fell in love again.

He wanted her breathing next to him at nights, her steps awakening his hallways, her voice ordering his servants. He longed for a future that would be fruitful with the laughter of children. He longed for a future in which they would sit side by side drinking tea, watching the musky sunset turned into the color of sapphire.

"Your eyes...they are beautiful!" He looked deeply in them as if it were his first time. His hands came up to frame her face that was half lit by moonlight. _Helena._

"That is your first compliment to me since the day we met." She laughed in amusement. "I'm guessing that meeting has something to do with me?"

_The meeting. _The sound of it jerked him back to reality. _That's right. I need to give them an answer. _His teeth clenched together.

"Tell me, Helena, does Hisagi make you happy?" His hand closed over hers earnestly. _I love this woman_—he finally realized, but he was about to lose her forever.

"Of course he does." She smiled. "But you probably would too, if you stop asking strange questions like this."

He smiled. _I guess it's too late to start. _He pulled her close and laid his lips upon hers—a soft and tender kiss. There were many things he wanted to say—this love that was throbbing inside his chest. He wanted to hold her and never let her go. He wanted to cherish her not only as his wife, but this time as the woman he loved. He wanted to watch the sunset and drink tea with her. He wanted to quarrel with her. But most of all, he wanted to see her smile.

"Smile for me, Helena." Said he as their lips parted.

It was as if the frosted snow had finally melted upon the petals of her lips, and the sparkles of all the stars dropped diamonds into her dark iris. _Helena. _

"Let's go home." _Home._

x------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x

"Byakuya-sama, have you reached your decision?"

_It should be enough. These memories. They should be enough. I was blessed, and I could not ask for more. Helena, be happy. I wanted to watch you smile, even from a far._

"Yes, I have."

"And what have you decided?"

"I have decided..."


	25. Chapter 25

"And what have you decided, Byakuya-sama?"

"I have decided..."

The screen door shot open as Helena entered. Two servants were holding on to her until her sudden movement threw both of them on their backs. As her arms came down, a tiny crimson dot appeared on the side of her kimono and rapidly became a growing stain on the bright white fabric.

"Helena!"

Byakuya rushed next to her failing figure. _She has not yet recovered fully. _Her muscles screamed in pain beneath his touch. "Why are you here? You are not well."

"Do not play coy with me! This meeting is about me, isn't it?" Anger appeared in her tone. Helena looked toward the elders who were eyeing her intently. "What is this meeting about? ANSWER ME!"

"Helena-sama, we do not wish to upset you..." Toshi made a reply.

"Well, you did. --The dark iris flared up-- Tell me, your Mistress, what is this meeting about?"

"About our divorce, Helena." Byakuya answered. His expression grew stale as she turned around and looked at him.

**Chapter 25: Hearts**

The air was suffocating. Kuchiki Byakuya felt his wife's anger burning a hole inside him—her skin was as pale as sap and her eyes as sharp as knives. Then she raised her left hand, pointing toward the door, and said to the elders:

"I need to speak with my husband privately."

"Helena-sa..."

"OUT!!!" She roared, and they all left the room in an instant.

* * *

"Tsk, I hope Byakuya-sama does not let Helena-sama sway him from his decision." One of the elders spoke. 

"We haven't learned of his decision yet, Kana-san. --the youngest elder reminded his senior-- And what are you thinking about, Toshi-san?"

The one closet to the Head Master, Kuchiki Toshi, was deep within his thought. His gray hair combed neatly behind his ears, and his hands hidden inside his sleeves. "I'm thinking... It is such a shame that Helena-sama cannot be our mistress."

* * *

"Is it true? Are you planning to divorce me?" 

"Are your wounds still bleeding?" His heart tightened.

"You are. —she disregarded his question— You want to divorce me now that I have nothing else to offer you or your clan."

"Helena..."

The pressure increased in her chest. _It hurts._

"Be careful, Helena. You're still weak!" He rushed to her side.

"I despise you."

Her words cut into his heart. _I despise you. _For a moment, his mouth lost its serenity and shook with emotions, then everything compressed into sorrow that embedded in the deep grey eyes.

"I know you do. That is why I'm giving you back your liberty."

"What do you mean?"

"You never wanted this marriage, and you were never happy. I want to make it up to you."

"By disgracing me? By driving me out of your clan with nothing?"

"You will retain your noble status, and I will make sure that you have everything you want or need."

His answer silenced her for a while. Then a solemn voice rolled out of her tongue.

"You really want to divorce me, don't you?"

_Please, don't look at me that way. _He folded both hands behind his back—resisting the urge of holding her in his arms. "It is for the best."

A lantern went out.

* * *

He watched her walking to and fro across the bedchamber, her eyes wandering across every inch—the soft sounds of her steps that would later fade into shadow, her scent of eternal spring that would later disappear into void. Kuchiki Byakuya could not bring himself to finish the simple haiku on the open page. 

She climbed onto their bed, but did not lay down. Instead, she jerked the book out of his hands and threw it to the corner.

"What is the matter?"

"Do not pretend like you are reading. I know you are watching me!"_She is always quick with answers. _He chuckled. "Do you find this amusing?"

He smiled at her fuming. _I will miss you terribly, Helena. _He tried to avoid reminding himself that he was in love with her, that after tonight she would no longer be his wife, that tomorrow he would have to officially announce their separation.

"Why are you smiling?" _No, I'm not smiling at all. _

He reached out his hand and pulled her closer to him. Pressed her against his body, Byakuya sighed—his hands smooth over her curves. He felt their soft texture beneath the silk and their tingles at his caress. Then he placed a kiss on her shoulder.

"Will you miss me?" Her question was mellow, and yet it had such yearning in each syllable. Suddenly they both realized how real this marriage was, and how much their lives had weaved around it.

"Yes." He muttered under his breath and hugged her tighter. His heart ached.

Pushing away the jet black hair, Helena looked into the eyes of the man she loved—grey and clear and crisp like dynamite: the color vibrated in the glowing light of the night-lamp. She kissed him, shyly at first, but the mouth against hers were patient and instructive. He sat still as she placed small kisses across the curve of his mouth before pressing their lips together in a victorian kiss.

"This is the first time you yourself ever kiss me." He said. An odd happiness blossomed.

She kissed him again, and this time Byakuya leaned in, lending some movements. He did not expect how soft her lips were, or how much he longed for her after a month of celibacy. Excitement rushed from the base of his spine to his head as she gently sucked on his lips. _Helena. _He kissed her harder, coursing her mouth to open, and thrust his tongue inside. When he broke off the kiss, he did not know if it were he or she who had groaned in frustration.

"You shouldn't have done that."_ Now it is impossible for me to not have you._ Kuchiki Byakuya turned away._ I can't...no, we can't do this._ "It's late. You need sleep."

Her third kiss persuaded him successfully: their lips crushed into one another with passion as Helena pushed her husband down onto their bed. Byakuya chuckled inside his mind. _This is the first time a woman has pushed me down. _His body shuddered with desire when the sight of her appeared after the sleeping kimonos were tossed aside. He touched the left side of her body, and stopped:

"Does it still hurt?" His eyes were intent. "Maybe we should not do this..."

To answer his question, her hand caressed lower. Anticipation ran through him as her hand passed over his chest and his abdomen. Her touch was exquisite. "I really have missed you, Helena." It was the last thing he remembered saying before a feeling of enrapture came over his senses. They were joined in the timeless dance of creation.

* * *

She felt full, like a long craving that has finally been fed. The friction between sweaty skins, and hungry hands, and wet kisses, how could one love so well without being in love? _Byakuya._Underneath her palm she heard the beautiful rhythm of his heart. It told her that he loved her. That He Loved Her. But the heart is deceitful sometimes.

* * *

Byakuya lay next to the woman he loved, her chest inflating and deflating in deep sleep. Maybe in the morning he would take her to the river. They would lie inside the boat and let it float downstream—watching the cherry blossoms trees dwelling on either side of the banks. They would share the same book; they would take turn reading the haiku out loud. They would even laugh. 

He heard the first gong. _Detestable morning. _His eyes shifted back to the figure next to him: serene and blissful. He traced the thick and dark eyelashes, the succulent mouth, and the proud chin. He embraced her.

"I love you, Helena."

Kuchiki Byakuya whispered before sleep took him into its tender arms.

Five more gongs until morning.


	26. Chapter 26

Forth gong. The separating screens changed to a pallid shade at the sight of first white light. Her eyes were opened, staring into her husband's collar bones. Her soon-to-be ex-husband.

"It's too soon to wake up." Helena raised her chin; looking back at her was a pair of grey eyes. Gathering her closer to him, Byakuya placed a kiss on her forehead. "Go back to sleep."

"I can't."

He sighed and hugged her tighter. The night that covered their bodies were evaporating with the dawn; their time together was coming to an end. And neither of them welcomed it.

**Chapter 26: Goodbye**

Helena liked mornings the best—untainted, fresh, and quiet. The smell of sakura blossoms bathed in dews evoked in her a pleasant feeling; she could not see her husband's loving eyes. His lips curled in a slight smile; his elbow rested lazily on an armrest. The tea was delicious this morning.

"I hope you have taught my servants how to make tea like you."

She frowned at his comment._ Are these trivial duties all you will miss about me? _She recalled everything that had happened up till this moment: meeting him, hating him, despising him, then loving him. His caress, his kisses, his gentle words. They were choking her.

"If I were to ask nothing of you. You would not have to love me, to care for me, or to like me. If I were to agree to you...having a mistress. Could we stay married then?"

The smile vanished from Byakuya's face. His hand reached for hers. _Helena. _

"Why can't I remain your wife?"

"It is for the better, Helena. For _both _of us. I enjoy your company. You are the only woman I know who can infuriate me one second, then make me laugh the next. I...like you, Helena. I care for you a lot, and I will always care for you."

"But you are still divorcing me. And you do not love me."

They were both out of words. Sounds had left the scene, only sadness lingered. The sky wore a faint gray that was withdrawing slowly. The landscape looked awfully wide.

"I have some arrangements to make." Releasing herself from Byakuya's holding, Helena stood up and excused herself. As she turned the corner that completely blocked herself from his view,—for the first time in her adult life—she wished for tears. None came. Everything fell inward.

* * *

Byakuya stood in front of the woman he loved, though her gentle smile did not save his heart from dying. He lit an incense._Hisana. _A thin stream of smoke split his vision in two, as if the reality was shifting away from the dream._ Hisana, I will be yours—wholly yours—again. After today, I will no longer be married to Helena._ Her name almost made him drop the incense stick.

'_We will be together forever.' _

'_Byakuya-sama, forever is but a figure of speech.' His wife corrected him. 'If eternity were true, that would make every moment meaningless.'_

"Byakuya-sama, Hisagi Captain sent you a message."

Kuchiki Byakuya reached for his zanpakuto. He closed the doors. "I will be back, Hisana."

* * *

The sun rays descended sweetly upon the slender bamboo leaves--some sparkled like crystalized honey. Hisagi Shuhei caressed the thin stem before pressing its green against his lips and made friends with winds' symphonies. A few birds left their nest and soared. The forest whispered, and Hisagi ceased the music.

"So you have come."

A man appeared with no back trail. His statue was not impressive in size, but terribly commanding. The man had on a dark blue kimono with silver threads, his hand was resting on the hilt of his sword. Though his grey eyes revealed nothing but a piercing cold glare, and his marble face unmoved, Hisagi could hear the intense beats underneath the man's chest.

"Why does you heart sound like it is in pain, Kuchiki Taichou?"

"Why is the condition of my heart of any interest to you?" He growled.

"I am cautious in judging people." Hisagi smiled, standing up. The bandage was not on his face. The vertical scars became vivid and red-hot. "If that pain of yours is because of Helena..."

"You're too wordy. And do not call my wife by her first name!" He flinched at the fact that he would not have the right to say this anymore.

"With all due respect, she will not remain your wife much longer, Captain Kuchiki." Hisagi let go of the leaf inside his palm. It made a swirl in the air before gliding across the quiet surface of the pond.

At that moment, he saw a flash...

* * *

Their swords clanked into each other. The metal spit fire; the screeching sound reached toward the top of the highest trees. The chirping of birds came to a haunt.

"You trash!" Byakuya took a step back before lunging his sword into Hisagi's left side. He missed. _How dare you talk to me that way? Helena...she's not mine to keep. _"She does not belong to me, or belong to you. She belongs to herself!"

_If I could, I would wish she were mine. I wish that we could be together... _

_forever!'_

A sharp swing from Hisagi tore off his right kimono sleeve; the blade ate into Kuchiki Byakuya's arm before he could block it. Bright blood formed at the cut like big crimson pearls before running down like trails of tears.

_Kuchiki Taichou._ Hisagi released the pressure on his sword, his hands was reaching toward the injured shinigami captain—like a loyal subordinate toward his superior. It was an act of instinct. Before he could react, the taste of blood soaked his tongue and throat—the hilt of Senbonzakura had dealt a heavy blow to his chest. They jumped from the center, and landed ten feet away from one another.

'_She belongs to herself!'_

The world around Hisagi Shuhei faded; and as the taste of crimson in his mouth subsided, he remembered the fragments of an early age. He recalled the lazy afternoons, the wavering trees, the fresh grass, and the laughter of children. He envisioned her, Naoki Helena, with her long waves of hair and eyes that resembled the universe. He loved her.

Hisagi lifted his eyes to the man before him, standing as if the wound on his arm meant nothing. He could see a part of Helena within that man, a part that he—Hisagi Shuhei—had never been able to understand.

"Kuchiki Taichou, I am jealous of you."

Byakuya's brows came together. _Jealous? _

"I'm jealous that you get to care for her, that you can make her laugh, that you have the right to love her, that you understand her in ways I could never do." he clenched his fingers into fists; his fingernails dug into the skin until it bled. "You are the man she loves."

Kuchiki Byakuya stayed silent. Yes, how could he have forgotten? She loved him. She had told him so. She had laid bare her soul before him. And what had he done? He tore away her pride. He doubted her. He broke her heart.

"I do not deserve her." Byakuya solemnly said; it was not meant for the ears of anyone, but nevertheless the wind carried it to the ears of his opponent.

"That is what I think, Kuchiki Taichou. —Hisagi took a long pause—But it does not matter what I think, or feel. Helena thinks you are deserving of her love, and that is what matters."

"Speaking with such superiority. You must think very highly of yourself."

"My wish is for her happiness, Kuchiki Taichou. —he sheathed his katana—And I know now, that her happiness does not lie in my hands, but in yours."

The light was now golden across the ground, tinkling between intricate spaces of the forest. The birds started singing again. Hisagi Shuhei felt the last remaining dust of the past swept away, and he bowed to the man before him.

"Please, make Helena happy."

When he looked up, the sixth division captain had disappeared. A leaf fell into his open palm. Hisagi Shuhei gently pressed it against his lips, and sang the sweet farewell.

* * *

_Like a fire faintly lit,_

_Every illusion must wither and end._

* * *

A dark table between them, a world behind them, the ceremony was sombre and painful. On the table were two bowls of rice, two cups of sake, and a long red silk ribbon. The elders stood to the left side of the room, rigid; Horomaru stood alone behind them, his face hidden in shadow. This had been where they had took their vows and shared their first meal as husband and wife; this was where their marriage was going to end.

She wore a deep purple kimono with silver waistband. The faint blush of her cheeks vanished. Her hair was tied neatly into a long braid. She was paler than he remembered—as cold as the white rose of winter, covered in frost.

"This will give you back your life, Helena."

He spoke as tenderly as he could manage, but when she lifted her eyes, he knew that what he did was unforgivable.

"What life? The house of Naoki is no more. The house of Kuchiki denies me. I am no longer a maiden, but a divorced woman. My life from now on will not slightly resemble the life I once led. You are not doing this to give me back my life. You are doing this for yourself—to run away from our life together!"

He had not given these things much thought—about how much their lives had changed because of this marriage. He had never realized how selfish his decision was. Or maybe he needed to deceive himself, to make everything easier. To the last minute, everything he did only hurt her.

"The ceremony will now commence!"

Horomaru's eyes gleamed with anticipation as the band started their music—signaling for Kuchiki Byakuya and Kuchiki Helena to stand up. They kneeled down on the velvet pillows; their eyes were holding each other with all things unsaid.

"The rice—food of everyday—we shall no longer share. "

The chanting of Toshi seemed like mere mindless murmur as they took the crimson bowls into their hands and emptied the grains inside, making tiny crackling sounds—as if every laughter and tear had crystalized, and were spilling over the Mageina wood.

"The sake—drink of joy—we shall no longer taste."

They picked up the beautiful sake cups, and—with trembling hands—tilted them until the precious content was splashing on top of the scented grains of rice. The music was unceasing, like the tides that pulled them apart. They rose to their feet.

"Our hands, our destinies, our lives were bound."

They raised their arms—his left and her right—toward one another, and Toshi wrapped the long ribbon around them. The cool silk ran across heated skin, taking them closer, forcing them to comprehend what was being given up. Still their faces remained emotionless—the calmness of loss.

"May this act untie our destinies as it unties our hands. Our lives shall no longer intertwined."

With a single pull, the red ribbon came spiraling down. The lantern's glow reflected off its shiny body, like the last ray of a firework falling into darkness. Horomaru wore on his face an ugly smile of malice as he watched the happiness receding and the sorrow advancing.

"Kuchiki Byakuya-sama, headmaster of our noble clan, and Kuchiki Helena-sama, our mistress and first lady, please repeat these words."

She looked at him with the same proud posture as the first time they had met. Her head laid squarely on her swan neck, and her jaws clenched together. He could see her eyes burning with that cold flame that could put fury into his heart just as quick as it put joy.

"These days we shall unlive..."

"These days we shall unlive..." their mouths moved, hypnotized in the fleeing moment.

"These vows we shall unsay..."

"These vows we shall unsay..." tears were swelling up beneath her eyes, and she could no more hold back the sobs that choked her words. A violent cough came over her, and she could taste the saltiness of tears across her lips. A satisfactory expression appeared on the distorted face of Kuchiki Horomaru.

"With this I release thee." _They have to go through with this. _"Helena-sama, please repeat after me. With. this. I release. thee."

He was captured—his soul, his body, his heart, his mind. His whole was hers.

"Helena-sama!"_ Byakuya's sama looks moved!_ "Please repea.."

"With...this—she sobbed. _Byakuya. _Still her proud posture retained—I...release...thee."

Toshi sighed with relief, then—turned to his young headmaster—he said. "Byakuya-sama, please repeat after me. With this..."

"With this..."

'_I am in love with you, not as Kuchiki Byakuya headmaster of Kuchiki Clan, not as Kuchiki Byakuya captain of the Sixth Division, but as simply Kuchiki Byakuya the shinigami.' _

Byakuya could hear the sweet voices ringing inside his ears.

"...I release thee." Toshi continued.

_Helena's happiness does not lie in my hands, but in yours.'_

"Byakuya-sama?" The glitter in Horomaru's eyes darkened as Toshi tried to regain his master's attention.

'_I do not love you according to bonds or vows. I do not love you out of hope to regain the past. I do not love you out of gratitude or admiration or even fear of loneliness.'_

"Byakuya-sama, please repeat after me. I. release. thee." He pressed down in each word. His fist slammed on the invisible plate of air. "With. this. I. release. thee. Byakuya-sama, with. this."

'_I love you because I do.' _

His heart ached. As several round sweats dropped from Toshi's face to his kimono, Kuchiki Byakuya's lips started to move. "With this..."

_Let's go home.' Home._

"That's it, Byakuya-sama, with this I release you. Say it!"

"...I love you."

_Hisana. Goodbye._


	27. Chapter 27

"...I love you."

He could not have said those three words any more delicately, and yet their effect was nothing less than the most thundering lightning. Horomaru's scars grew twisted; he held out his hands with such a violent manner one thought he was about to kill someone. Toshi shook his head; the elders were shouting with dismay. The music was dismantled with confusion.

But he did not pay heed to the surrounding chaos, for his eyes beheld only her. His Helena. He had always looked at her through a veil that now was finally lifted. The voice of his life was muffled and now finally heard. She stood motionless, her arms loosely at her sides; the porcelain skin illuminated above the dark purple silk. They looked at one another, and let the world wheel away.

"Byakuya-sama, what are you saying?" Takinawa cried out most upsettingly.

He turned. "Helena will remain my wife." He stepped to her side and catch one of her wrists. Her eyes were full of movement in response to his touch, yet she kept silent.

"Cousin, do consider what you are saying!" Kuchiki Takinawa refused to give up.

"I am the headmaster of this clan; and as your headmaster, I do not consent the divorce between Helena and myself."

"You..."

"Please stay calm, Takinawa-kun. Byakuya-sama—our headmaster—has decided to continue his marriage. We should leave the matter for now." Urged Toshi.

**Chapter 27: To Be With You**

"Are you alright? You have not spoken a word since this evening's ceremony." Byakuya said to his wife, who was gazing at the zen garden connecting their bedroom to their bathhouse. Her hair was loose once again, and her sleeping kimono pure white with blush-pink lining. At his inquiry, she hardly raised one shoulder.

"I'm...quite taken...with what you said then."

Helena switched to the glittering stars above. _How deep! How tall! How wonderfully mysterious! _She wanted to lose her mind in their beauty, so the shock would subside. Only then would she be able to process the simple three words he had said.

She felt a shawl wrapping around her, also a pair of arms, and a kiss upon her hair—caressing her confused head. How could she have missed anything that might have told her of his true feeling? Since when had he loved her? Or had he always been in love with her and just recently discovered it? Was it even real? Or was it pity, guilt, shame? If so, what was the reason?...

"You are thinking that I am scheming something, aren't you?" Raised her chin with his hand, Byakuya asked, partly amused.

"How disagreeable! Must you always assume what I am thinking?" She pushed his hands away, but they tightened even more around her. "Let me go!"

"No. I am never letting you go." Byakuya laughed, but then the humor died away in his tone. "Helena, I love you."

"I know."

"Do you?" He loosened his embrace. Pushing away the black waves that omitted her eyes from him, Byakuya saw two dark and cold eyes staring back at him.

"I have always thought you never loved me and never will.—she said earnestly—But...now...I do not know what to believe."

"Can you believe that I have grown attached to you just as you have to me? Can you believe that you have become a part of my life, my daily existence?—She nodded—if then, why can't you believe that I love you? That I have been in love with you for a long time without knowing it? That I have been asleep and you awoke me?"

She chuckled. _She laughs? _His cheeks changed color, and he hid his face away with a simple turn. Notice his distress, Helena gently explained.

"You have always considered these talks foolish. Yet here you are, speaking these words—she touched his face—to ease my mind. That is all the proof I need to know you are in love with me."

Tomorrow they would travel downstream. They would take the Zanhi boat. Tomorrow.

* * *

"Helena-san, are you taking the prescribed medicine according to schedule?"

"Yes. Is there something wrong?"

Retsu Unohana took off her stethoscope, and checked her patient's pulse. _It's kind of slow. _"Your pulse seems normal. A bit slow actually."

"I'm relaxed." She drily stated.

"Well, your body temperature is a bit high." _Tsk._

Helena put a finger in the middle of Retsu's forehead and playfully massaged the point.

"Stop worrying, Unohana-san. I can hear your brain going tsk tsk." Then she stood up from her exam chair. "If you're done, I need to leave."

"You don't want a cup of tea? You're my only patient today." The medical examiner took off her gloves.

"No, thank you. Byakuya-sama and I are going sailing today." Giving Retsu one last smile, Helena left the clinic.

Unohana was stunned, then her mouth curved into a gentle smile. _Helena-san, your eyes have never shone so bright. _A hell moth descended on Unohana's shoulder; its wings fluttered for a while before the forth division captain replied.

"I have no choice but to join you. Helena-san does not want to have tea today."

As the butterfly flew away, Retsu watched the honey clouds trolling across the cobalt sky._ It is indeed a good day for sailing._ She closed the medical file and put it in the cabinet.

* * *

The blossoms fell into the open boat like a cloak over two reclining figures. The Zanhi boat, a boat specially preserved for noble family, swirled slowly and gently in wide circles down the flowing river. It was a fine day with hazel light.

The Mistress of the Kuchiki clan laid her head on the pillow beneath her husband's shoulder. Their eyes were closed. Many blossoms fell in the folds of Byakuya's gray kimono, as well as adorned Helena's white kimono with the most lovely sakura designs. Next to them was an open book of haiku. On the table was a set of tea. Everything was so blissfully quiet.

* * *

"Byakuya-sama, we of the counsel have discussed your decision concerning your marriage to Helena-sama."

"I will never consent our divorce."

"We are aware of that." Toshi eyes were stern. "However, any children Helena-sama might bear will not be considered as the Kuchiki Heir."

"What..." He put down the shifts schedule.

All of the elders took a step back, as if to evade their headmaster's fury. "Any decision regarding your marriage is up to you, the headmaster. But any decision concerning determining your heir rests in our hands."

_They couldn't have thought of this. Toshi would rather persuade me than to fight me. Then... _His eyes fell on the looming figure in the corner. "_You_. You are the on..."

"I understand that you are our headmaster, but shouldn't you pay a bit more respect to your uncle?" Horomaru moved closer to the center. "Tsk, first marrying a commoner, now a cursed bride. It seems to me that the counsel had mistakenly chosen you as headmaster after your father's early death."

"We chose Byakuya-sama instead of you, Horomaru-sama, because he proved himself capable of leading our clan even at early age." Some of the elders stepped in.

"Tsk, you chose a kid. I was better suited for the job.—then turned to Byakuya, Horomaru's snake-like eyes cruelly gleamed—I was sure I would be headmaster...the day your father died, Byakuya-sama."

In a split second, Kuchiki Byakuya had moved from behind his desk to in front of Kuchiki Horomaru. His grey eyes were cold and hard as steel; every bit of composure disappeared from his face. His marble face was agitated. His hand directed to his uncle's forehead—with blue sparks spitting out from his point finger.

"What _exactly _are you implying, Horomaru? Answer your headmaster very carefully, or I will have your life."

"My life? I was never under the impression that you have the capacity to take my life."

The flame in his eyes flared beneath the cool grey, and from his finger a sound of thunder roamed the air. A blue light filled the meeting room as if a flash bomb exploded. The blue lightning, however, was completely absorbed by what appeared to be an ancient fan.

"You people are too noisy." Hiroshi Tono said, fanning himself. His statue looked abnormally huge for some unknown reason. Then turned to Byakuya, he ordered in a deep thundering tone. "Adjourn this meeting and come to the guest room with me."

...

When he arrived, Byakuya realized that his guest list contained not only Tono-sensei, but Retsu Unohana, Jushiro Ukitake, Hisagi Shuhei, and Shunsui Kyoraku. Hiroshi Tono took his seat, and started fanning himself.

"I have told the people here the situation, and have asked them to come here to offer their thoughts.—He gave Shunsui a sharp glare—However, this captain somehow heard the story and demanded to come also."

Shunsui chuckled nervously. He could feel the heavy aura pressing on his shoulders, and the massive power of the ancient man in front of him._ So this is a descendant of the Heavenly Guards._ "In my opinion, your elders are leaving you with the only option of taking an official Mistress, a Second Lady, whose children can be chosen for the position of the Kuchiki heir."

"I will not take a Mistress." He answered dryly.

"That is what your uncle anticipated when he suggested the idea, Kuchiki Captain. He probably also counted the fact that Helena would not consent with your having a mistress." Retsu softly spoke.

"So basically he leaves you no way out." Ukitake commented. "But why? Why now? Why Helena-san? Your uncle did not protest your previous marriage."

"Because that snake knew she would not live for long, less alone bear children.—Hiroshi Tono closed his fan, and straightened his posture—Naoki Helena is a different matter. Not only she is healthy, she also is aware of her duty of producing an heir. Byakuya, do you know why your father became the Headmaster and not his brother, Horomaru, even though Horomaru was stronger and more cunning?"

"The elders told me that Horomaru was too much of a dictator, and he displayed too much greed."

"That is what they told you. What truly happened is that at the time, your father had already married while Horomaru was still a bachelor. Having a family proves your sense of responsibility to the elders, as well as securing that the linage will not disappear, so they decided to snub Horomaru. Then when your father died, the headmastership was transferred directly to you, his heir. If it were otherwise..."

"Kuchiki Taichou, if you were to have an heir, your uncle would lose his chance at leadership for the third time." Hisagi Shuhei exclaimed.

"He's old already. This might be his final chance to rule for a few centuries." Shunsui continued. "Come to think of it, I understand now why it was important to press for the merger between two clans. Not only it will strip Helena-san of her influence, but to prevent that her children might become the Naoki heir, and able to contest his mastership at the Kuchiki. He turned greedy. He wanted to rule the most powerful clan. Now the Kuchiki clan is indeed the most prominent among the Four Noble Houses."

"He attacked Helena to push me into furthering his plans for him..." His fists came together.

"That's not the only reason why." Retsu replied; great distress showed on her face. "Horomaru is terribly afraid that your marriage would turn out happy. I'm sure he had tried to drive you two apart, but soon realized that despite his effort, you both had grown to care for one another, and enjoy each other's company. It left him with the option of taking her life."

Retsu's brows came together. "Her attacker was especially vicious to her abdominal area. At first, I thought it was to draw out as much of her blood as possible, but the attacks to her major arteries would have done the trick. Combining now with what I have heard, it is safe to conclude that he was not just after her life, but planned to extinguish the chance that any life might have grown or would be grown."

The sight of Helena lying on the operation table with her side munched off—blood spattered across her porcelain skin—appeared vividly in Byakuya's mind like it was just yesterday.

"Apparently he was unsuccessful in both. Next he tried to force you to divorce her, and he failed in that attempt as well. So now he decides to strip your future children of the chance to become the Kuchiki heir." Ukitake finalized. "Kuchiki Taichou, if my logic is correct, his next step would be for your life."

"There is no need.—Hiroshi Tono spoke again—the war is coming. It is the perfect opportunity to get rid of Byakuya whose participation in battles would probably claim his life."

"I'm not easily defeated, Sensei."

WHACK!! Another flap descended on Byakuya's head. Everyone was holding their breath._ Did he just flap Kuchiki Taichou in the head? _

"Control your arrogance a bit more, Byakuya, or it will be your downfall. When you have exhausted your strength after a battle, would it be so hard for Horomaru to eliminate you then?"His apprentice was silent at his question. "That treacherous snake has waited for the perfect timing to carry out his ambition, and you have been foolish enough to place yourself inside his traps. Now is not the time to be overly confidence!"

He was about to answer when his governess appeared at the doorway, panting for breaths.

"Byakuya-sama, Helena-sama...she just coughed out blood."


	28. Chapter 28

_He saw her walking down the corridor toward their tea room. Her statue leaned on the screens. She had just returned from her quest to find her lost sister—a quest that was claiming her life little by little. He was moving toward her; he longed to hold her._

_Then she fell—a fragile blossom from the branch of sakura._

_And she never stood up again. His Hisana._

...

She was standing in the garden, under the arches of white cherry blossoms, enveloped in the dying ember glow of sunset. A sound. She turned.

"Byakuya..."

He threw himself toward her; his hands grabbed her arms. Then he embraced her—pressing her outlines and his together until they become one dark silhouette against the golden backdrop.

_Please. Please. Never never disappear. _

"Byakuya, is something wrong?"

"I heard that you coughed up blood."

"It's nothing to worry over. I'm sure all I need is rest."

"Have you been taking your medicines? I will ask the physician to prescribe you some spirit-gimsons."

"Spirit-gimsons? There is no need for such extravagance. Those are extremely rare, there are less than ten boxes of them available."

"I don't care." His voice suddenly hardened.

She placed one hand on his heart; his hand closed over her fingers. She rest her head on his collarbones. The last rays of the sun shimmered around them.

"Byakuya, I will not disappear."

_I will always be with you, Byakuya. _

**Chapter 28: Heir**

The elders of the Kuchiki clan gathered around the big square table, but the head seat was empty. Their Headmaster was engaged somewhere else. It was the first meeting of the month; in other words, he could not have simply missed it.

"Has Byakuya-sama sent words on a second meeting?" Toshi questioned the messenger.

"No, Toshi-sama."

"Did he give us any explanation to his absence?"

"...No, Toshi-sama."

An uncomfortable silence hovered over the blank faces of the elders. Their eyes worriedly searched for each other. Their master, who had always been diligent about monthly meetings, was not there. The vacancy of his seat screamed out horridly, and the long and distorted faces of the counsel grew into a great shadow over the shiny red wood. _Byakuya-sama is not here._

...One week earlier...

_The sky is inlaid with gold, the earth is pure honey,_

_an amber glaze over my garden,_

_a sparkle in my beloved's eyes._

He closed his notebook and looked at his wife—reclining on the reading bed under the dome of their garden. The warm and inviting sunlight poured over her mousseline day dress. The dress, with sleeves loosely closed at her wrists, hung on her body like drapes of wind. It pressed upon her lovely shape, and sprawled sweeping layers of sweet beige fabric and tiny crimson flowers motifs across the floor. She was gazing at the shimmering horizon line. Today was the day of Shinaizen, in which the horizon line glowed in its own sparkles.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes," she answered him softly, "I like watching the Shinaizen."

He smiled. It had become more and more a foolish and satisfying tendency on his part to smile in her presence, but somehow Byakuya found it oddly comforting and pleasurable. A wind raised in the air. He stood up and stepped over to his wife. Without a word, he took off his scarf and wrapped it around her. Then they laid down on the reading bed together.

"Say, are you going to tell me what had the elders decided?"

"It will trouble you."

"It troubles me more if you do not tell me."

Byakuya sighed. Sometimes he wished Helena were not so persistent, or that she would not make her argument completely rational.

"I shall never consent a divorce. They have no say in the matter."

He squeezed her hands, but the dark eyes staring back at his were disturbed. The idle happiness was gone from Helena's eyes as they turned keen and sharp.

"Byakuya-sama, did they discuss about the matter of the Kuchiki Heir?"

_Tsk. _He remained silent. _I knew she would figure it out in a second._

"You cannot convince me that they would simply give up. Answer me: what did they say about our Heir?"

"Stop pushing for an answer," he impatiently replied, "you are spoiling the afternoon."

"You should concentrate on recovering, not on matters like this," he added. _How could I tell her about Horomaru? That he is planning my death? No, all this turmoil and danger would upset her. The only expression that should be on her face is happiness._

She tore her hands from his, and removed herself from the bed. She stood against the light, her hair a black and lush backdrop. It was terrible and beautiful at the same time.

"Is that it? Am I a fragile porcelain doll to you now? I am this house's First Lady. These matters concern me. I am not going to let you, my husband, take care of all my duties."

Her tone was hard and resolute, and Kuchiki Byakuya realized how mistaken he was about what would bring her happiness. Helena did not want to be shielded from the world; she had always plunged herself into it. She demanded life—the good and the bad sides of it. And he was scared that this quality of her that he so admired would one day tear them apart. He wanted to dismiss her questioning, but he only loved her all the more.

"That is not what I imply. I merely do not wish you to have to carry these burdens."

"These are _our_ burdens. I will not let you carry them alone." She sat down on the bed, and placed his hand on her left chest. "Did you forget already?"

"No," he kissed her. Her lips were sweet, inviting, and soft. Her breath was warm and intoxicating. Byakuya felt his self-control slipping away as he sank further into the kiss, reaching toward a point in indefinite time and space.

...

"_We are souls, made of spirit particle. Unlike humans who are limited by their corporeal existence, we defy the law of physics. We live for hundreds of years. We age slowly and retain our youthful appearance for most of our life. We can make love for many times and many days without exhaustion. We live so long that we watch many people we love pass away before our eyes. We see all the ugliness and danger of the world that humans do not see. We all carry these characteristics as privileges and burdens for which we never complain._

"_Like humans, we wish to become one with another. Hundreds of years alone is not a fate even a shinigami would welcome. We long to love. We long to surrender our existence—utterly and sincerely—to that one soul who completes us. We melt into each other, and from the core of our existence will spring new life._

"_Byakuya, remember this well, my son."_

...

The horizon line glowed ever more splendid as the garments fell onto the marble floor. His hands smoothed over the slender curves beneath him; his eyes followed her every sound; his body awakened by her touch. He wanted her, all of her; and he wanted to give himself to her, his whole self, every particle that made up his existence...

...One hour before the monthly mandatory meeting...

"Byakuya-sama, it is time for your meeting with the elders," his maid informed him.

"Very well." Byakuya stood up from his desk, "has my wife come home from visiting her store?"

"Helena-sama's carriage has just arrived."

He nodded and left the room. He walked toward the front gate to greet her before going to his meeting. The memories of her touch still lingered in him, and never had Byakuya been so content about his life.

Helena came into his sight after he made a left turn. His Helena.

She was leaning on to the screen. Her breath was heavy and short. Her black hair seemed to weight down her shoulder. The complexion that was rosy earlier had become pale. He ran to her as she fell needlessly into his awaiting arms.

"Call for a doctor, _now!_"

...

"Why has he not left us a message about his absence? This is inexcusable."

"I heard Helena-sama fainted after her trip outside. Maybe..."

"There is no maybe in this house. We are too easy on that kid." Horomaru spoke, "my nephew became Headmaster when he was very young, and everyone has always given in to his wishes."

"Horomaru-sama, are you not a bit too hard on Byakuya-sama?" said Toshi. His gentle voice was immediately dominated by Horomaru's harsh and shrill tone.

"Hard on him? Of course I am. He carries a heavy responsibility, yet he has proved times and times again that he puts his self-interest before the Kuchiki."

"What do you suggest we do then?"

The question brought a faint smile to Horomaru's face. _At last. _He thought. _At last._

...

"You should stop pacing so constantly, Kuchiki Taichou. Unohana Taichou is our best doctor here."

Byakuya ceased his steps, and sat down in front of Ukitake, who was watching the rose bushes blooming.

"She passed out this morning."

"She did not pass out. She felt dizzy and fell, —Ukitake gently corrected—and you immediately called up all possible physicians in Seireitei."

Byakuya did not heed the words of his senpai. His mind drifted off to the cruel smile of Horomaru.

"There is no need for your uncle to endanger Helena-san's life, Kuchiki Taichou."

Byakuya opened his mouth as to respond, but stopped when Unohana reappeared in the garden. Both men stood up.

"How is she, Unohana Taichou?" the white hair man asked.

"I suggest Kuchiki Taichou ensure her plenty of rest, nutrients, and proper physical exams every week. She is weak due to the injuries before, but her recent condition makes her unstable and prone to exhaustion."

"What is her recent condition?" asked Byakuya, his brows slightly twitched.

"Helena-san is with child. Congratulations, Kuchiki Taichou. You are going to be a father."

He heard the words, but they did not register in his mind until the woman before him smiled brightly, and the man beside him patted his back. _Helena is...with child. _

He left them in the garden and raced toward the his quarter. _I'm going to be a father. _He was a shinigami captain, a Headmaster, a husband, but never a father. _I'm going to be a father. _A child. He was going to have a child.

He opened the door and stepped into his bedchamber. Helena was sitting on their bed; her complexion was a bit pale, but her mouth curved gently in the shape of happiness. He walked over to where she sat and let their eyes met.

_Helena. _This woman, who had given him back the joy of life. She was also giving him the most precious gift a man could receive. He kneeled down on one knee before her, took her hand, and held it to his lips. The luminescent light seeped through the silk screen and poured upon both their figures.

"I love you so much," he said—his right hand caressed her face.

She smiled at him as he pressed his ears against her belly, listening to the magical formation within her. For a while, they both forgot about the danger laying ahead.

...


	29. Chapter 29

The breeze of morning was making its way through the garden, and Helena was balancing her management book. Her eyebrows came together uncomfortably, and her lips were making a grim line across her face. _Twenty missing cargos. _

Ever since he knew that she was with child, Byakuya had insisted her to stay away from going to the shop everyday, and ordered for the management book to be delivered to the Kuchiki manor. Her maids were with her at all time, as was a shinigami from his own division. Today it was Ankira, a short and skinny kid with purple hair.

"Ankira-kun, I need to come to my store. You may remain here."

"But Kuchiki Taichou said..."

"I am saying no." She irritatingly raised her voice.

The shinigami immediately withdrew his opinion. As his charge was getting further and further away from his side, Ankira sighed. He was sure to be scolded later.

**Chapter 29: Ally**

Time had passed since the last time she was here, standing in front of the trading company that she loved so much. Everything had remained the same, except for the sign at the entrance door. It is now "Kuchiki Trading Company."

She walked inside the store, to the right was the huge dark cabinet of thousands of drawers. The scent of herbs flourished in the air. To her left was the display for various items from the human world, then next to it a register stand. As she continued deeper into the store, lovely objects came into her view and reminded her of a time not so longer ago when all this had meant more for her than anything. _But not anymore. _She took the management book out and opened it. There, next to her calligraphy, was the penmanship of a man. It seem to give her own lines encouragement, compliment, and support. Helena smiled.

"Helena-sama, is there anything I can help you with?"

Sanjo Koramura was a gentle man, too gentle to the point of naiveness. He had been their manager for two generations, and as such had incorporated himself into the Naoki family. Looking at him standing with his heart broken at the vanished name of the House, Helena could not bring herself to scold him.

"Koramura-san, you should put a window in your office."

He nodded indifferently. "Is Helena-sama here to inquire about the missing cargos?"

"No, she's not." A firm voice answered in her place. "Helena-sama is to be home and resting, not running errands."

Kuchiki Byakuya appeared inside the store. His presence seem to fill up the tall and spacious room. The white Kenseikan shone on his black hair, its silver gleam reflected in his hard stare. Behind his back, Ankira was trying to hide from the enflamed eyes of the Kuchiki Mistress.

"I can handle this." She protested.

"If I let you handle this, then you will insist on handling everything else."

"Twenty cargos went missing. It's a huge deficit. This needs my attention."

"I will take a look at it later."

"Pardon me for speaking out of my station, Kuchiki Taichou, but I think my lady knows how to run her business best." The manager bowed to the young man before him. Byakuya turned toward the calm face that had just opposed him, his eyebrows came together.

"Thank you, Koramura-san," Helena walked over to her old manager, "but do not invite upon yourself my husband's wrath, and do not forget your position. This is for your own good."

Sanjo Koramura looked at his mistress and smiled. "You are truly the perfect noble, Helena-sama. Moreover, you have grown so beautiful I can hardly recognize you." As he said those words, a peculiar gleam flashed over his brown pupils.

"Such a compliment is rather inappropriate for a manager to say. Are you forgetting your station again?" Kuchiki Byakuya took one step closer to the old manager. "Do you think I would take your seniority into consideration and not fire you?"

"I do not think it is in your power to fire me, Kuchiki Taichou, for I do not work for you," A strange smile spread across Sanjo Koramura's face. He turned to Helena who was about to speak. "and neither do I work for you, Helena-sama."

"Helena, get away from him!"

His warning came too late. The wrinkles on Koramura's face melted away as the brown color came back over his gray hair. The old body straightened as the muscles reappeared. The features distorted before forming back into the face of Aizen Sosuke, the ex-captain of the fifth division. The gentle brown eyes transformed into a pair of sharp and menacing amber.

"You are..." In an instant, Aizen dealt a slap at the back of Helena's neck. His arms caught her from falling down to the floor and carried her in an embrace.

"Aizen, give her back."

"Growling will not make a difference, Kuchiki Taichou." Aizen turned his attention to the woman he was holding. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Don't you dare touch her!" Byakuya reached for his sword. _What..._

"You left your sword at the office, remember?" Aizen smirked. "In your hurry to come here, you forgot your sword. Just how are you intending to fight _me_ without a weapon, Kuchiki Taichou?"

"Ankira, go and report this!"

The young shinigami ran out from the store at the command of his captain. Tears were flowing from his eyes. Fear. Those tears reeked of fear. He knew that the man there would kill him in an instant. Ankira did not dare to look back, in his mind imprinted the tall figure of his captain facing the one who was plotting the destruction of the world.

"Look at him, his knees are buckling due to the pressure of my reiatsu. Do you think he can come to the other shinigami in time?"

"Aizen, what do you want with me that involves my wife?"

The man before him gave a clear scoff. "_You? _What can I possibly want with you, Kuchiki Taichou? No. I'm here for her." The leader of hollows touched his nose to Helena's neck and inhaled deeply. "It's amazing. She smells like spring, full of cherry blossoms and sunshine and running water."

"Do not touch her!" He plunged forward.

"_Forbidden Kido 86: Kansei._"

Threads of red flames appeared out of thin air, spinning around Byakuya. They pierced through his limbs, then turned into metal poles and pined him to the wall in a crashing thrust. His blood came out in a violent cough.

"You cannot fight me without your weapon, Kuchiki Taichou. It is futile."

Turning to the woman in his arms again, Aizen stroke her hair. "Smooth like dark ocean waves." He caressed her lips. "Soft and lovely like a petal. Have you ever looked deep into her eyes? They are like gateways into the universe."

"Why are you here? Why Helena?"

"How could I have never noticed her?" Aizen ignored the questions of his captive. "If I had not been informed, I would still be unaware of her." Casually he lifted Helena's chin and pressed his lips onto hers in the form of a kiss.

"AIZEN!" His scream was toneless, voiceless, speechless. Silence came upon him.

Aizen lifted his lips away from Helena's as a faint flush appeared on his temple. "It's dangerous. She just makes you never want to stop kissing her. Kuchiki Taichou, I never thought I would be jealous of anything you own."

Aizen's voice returned to its cool and calculating tone. "This woman carries within herself the moving forces of nature. She is not a soul, but an offspring of the universe. Your wife is very special, Kuchiki Taichou. My congratulations."

Byakuya made his hands into fists. He could not move. The metal rods had attached to his bones and pined him against the wall. _Helena. _

"It's unfortunate that I have to announce your separation, for I am taking her with me." He marveled at the woman in his arms as if she was a jewel. "Just a drop of her blood is worth more than a hundred human souls. You ever wonder why shinigami's spiritual power is colored red? Her blood is a pure concentration of spiritual power. It can easily destroy half of Soul Society if it is put to use correctly, Kuchiki Taichou."

"You think you can escape from here so easily, Aizen?" A clear ringing of bells broke out. _Ankira has informed others of Aizen. _"Everyone will be coming for you."

"It seems so." Aizen calmly answered.

"Who told you about my wife? Is it Horomaru?"

"Tsk tsk, you are not the one to ask the questions here. Remember your position?" A dark hole appeared behind Aizen's back. "It's goodbye for now, Kuchiki Taichou. Too bad. I would have enjoyed watching your struggling as a white butterfly against my pins a bit longer."

As Aizen vanished into the darkness with Helena in his arms, the flaming rods disappeared. Byakuya fell on his knees; the holes on his body were bleeding. He bit down on his lip as a surge of pain and anger flooded his heart. _I could not do anything. _The floor broke under his punch. _I watched him taking her away. _

_..._

"Kuchiki Taichou, please let me finish binding your wounds."

"No, Helena is..."

A strong hand caught hold of his throat and pushed him back down. Byakuya tried to move, but found out that he was paralyzed.

"I have disabled his movement for a while. Please continue with your job, Unohana Captain." Hiroshi said to the healer. He then said down next to his old apprentice, a grim and worried look came over his face. Finally, he said:

"Byakuya, you must not come to the Hueco Mundo."

"Sensei! Helena..."

"Cool your head! Why do you think that Aizen came here in the first place?"

"He said he came here for Helena, that her blood can be made into some kind of weapon that can dispatch half of Soul Society into nothing."

"And you believe him?" The old master shook his head. "Tsk, Aizen cannot come here unnoticed without the help of someone from Soul Society. If he goes so far as to go near the spirit gates, the alarm will sound. Someone either disabled one gate, or created one for him to pass through."

"Horomaru. He hates me enough, but why Helena?" A groan escaped his lips as Retsu poured a cleansing substance through his wounds.

"Because he knows that if anything was to happen to her, you would lose your composure. If you could, you would have plunged yourself into Hueco Mundo without hesitation to take her back. She's your weakness, Byakuya."

"So he made a deal with Aizen?"

"Most likely. He probably somehow promised Aizen a powerful weapon in exchange for Aizen's help in dispatching your life. Horomaru must have anticipated for you to follow Aizen into Hueco Mundo, have Aizen kill both Helena and her unborn child—your only heir—for his experiments, then borrow Aizen's strength to exterminate you."

Byakuya clenched his fists. He swore that he would take Horomaru's head, even if he was his uncle.

_Something is still not right. _Hiroshi Tono thought. _How does Horomaru plan to take over as headmaster after getting rid of the headmaster and the first lady? The leadership goes to siblings, which would mean Rukia. It will never transfer back to Horomaru, even the elders know better than to give him more authority._

"Sensei, I will go to Hueco Mundo."

"You rascal, hasn't any of my words got to your head?"

"Yes," he said—looking at the sky which was glowing in the color of blood—"but nevertheless, Helena was taken there." _The woman I love was taken there. _

"You...are running toward your death."

The Kuchiki headmaster gave his sensei a faint smile. "I have to rescue her, Sensei." _Without her, I am dead anyway._

Hiroshi Tono sighed. "Very well, then do as you want. You stubborn kid!"


	30. Chapter 30

She awoke with a throbbing pain on her temples. Everything was still a blur. She remembered coming to the shop, and meeting with Koramura-san. _He wasn't Koramura-san! _She sat up violently, recalling the cold face of Aizen Sosuke as he rendered her unconscious.

Helena turned to find herself on a massive bed, under a scarlet satin blanket. Next to the bed was a round coffee stand, then a huge glass window reaching toward the sixteen-foot-tall ceiling. She could not make out of any other color of the sky except a sombre black. _I'm no longer in Soul Society. _

She was about to leave the bed as the door opened and Aizen entered. He was wearing a strange uniform, but somehow its stoic and rigid qualities suited him. He did not pay attention to her stare and casually placed his katana to the stand next to the door. The room was too large, and despite its furniture, appeared rather spare and empty. The thudding sound of Aizen's shutting the door let her know how trapped she was. _Byakuya. _

"Welcome to my castle, Lady Kuchiki."

**Chapter 30: Trapped**

The headquarter was rather chaotic today, with the knowledge that Aizen had come to Seireitei undetected. The Squads had formed an emergency meeting, and the tension had risen to the boiling point.

"Commander, I ask for the role of leading a rescuing team to Hueco Mundo to retrieve Kuchiki Helena."

"Denied."

"Commander..."

"Do not waste your time arguing against my decision, Kuchiki Taichou. The task of rescuing Kuchiki Helena will be carried out by the Eight Squad's captain Kyouraku Shunsui. You are to remain in Soul Society."

Yamamoto Genryuusai slammed his staff onto the floor, thus ended the conversation. For the first time in his life, Kuchiki Byakuya felt a desire to challenge his commander. The old man gave him a piercing gaze, and the young captain was silenced.

"Very well. The rescue unit will dispatch immediately. End of meeting!"

...In Hueco Mundo...

The man before her was smiling. His hands folded into the sleeves of his kimono. He proposed no threat with either his stand or his words, but Helena did not answer his greeting. Her eyes judged the distance between them: ten feet.

"What did you do to my husband?"

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about yourself right now, Lady Kuchiki?"

"What did you do to my husband?" her eyes glared.

"You are aware that you are only alive for as long as I permit you."

"What. did. you. do. to. my. husband?"

"It seems that you will repeat your question until I give you an answer." Aizen folded his hands behind his back. "Very well. I dealt your husband some damages that would require healing, but I did not take his life."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because my target wasn't him, but you."

The room fell into a suffocating silence. Aizen kept his distance; an amused expression lingered on his face.

"What do you want with me?"

"That depends on whether or not the information I received about you was true."

"What infor..." Her sentence was cut short as Aizen closed the distance between them in a blink of an eye. He was now standing at the head of the bed. Thankful to the size of the bed, there were still two feet between them. Aizen made no attempt to cross it. Yet.

"You are a lady of many questions, Lady Kuchiki. Most of them are about tedious, practical subjects."

"Release me and you will not have to answer them anymore." She coldly replied.

"I can't possibly do that. If I do, you will end up getting killed by my underlings. They do not like shinigami, you see."

"Why do you care if I live or die?"

"Because it benefits me better if you live, for a while longer at least." The man said those words expressionless. His handsome face never once lost its faint smirk, which indicated only cruelty.

"Now, since I have answered all your questions, it is your turn to answer some of mine. What is Horomaru's objective?"

"The Headmaster position of the Kuchiki clan." _They're accomplices I see. _"Why are you asking me this? Did he not tell you?"

"He did. I merely wanted to confirm it. You cannot believe a dog that betrays its own master." Aizen smiled. It did not bring Helena any comfort, but rather a shiver. "Are you truly that special like he said?"

"What do you mean?" _If he thought I was beneficial in anyway, I might still be able to live a bit longer. _Her chest tightened. _Until Byakuya comes. _

_Hm, did Horomaru lie or does she not know? _Aizen looked at the woman in front of him. _She's no great beauty, yet my eyes are drawn to her. She feels like she's not a being of this world. Not entirely, anyway. I guess it's no use wondering without checking. _

He climbed onto the bed. Helena ran to the other side of the bed, but something caught her hair and pulled her violent backward until she fell onto the mattress again. _Ouch! _Aizen's face came into view, and she threw her arm up, hoping to pierce his eyes with her fingers. With the other hand not entangled in her hair, he caught her wrist and imprisoned it with his knee. She swung the other hand, but it was caught again.

"Lady Kuchiki, if you insist on fighting me, I will have to break your arms." He smiled at her while tightening his grip on her right hand and increasing the pressure of his knee on the other until her limbs both turned purple. "I only want to check if you are truly necessary to me like Horomaru has said."

She gave up on resisting, knowing that he would disable her without even a slight change of face. _I have to live. I have to wait until Byakuya gets here. _

"You are indeed a smart woman, Lady Kuchiki. Or should I call you Helena? It's less formal, don't you think?"

"I prefer formality. It gives me plenty of room to despise you."

He chuckled, letting go of both her hands. "As you wish, Lady Kuchiki." _Her wrists bore no scars, exactly as he told me. _His hand reached for her obi. As he unwound the fabric, Helena slapped his hand away.

"Lady Kuchiki, I thought we had come to an agreement."

"What are you doing?"

"Your assault months ago. It left you near death. Your left side was complete ravaged. But if you are truly what Horomaru said you are, your left side should be the same as it was before the attack."

"Of course it is. Unohana-san is the best surgeon."

"She can heal you certainly, but she cannot make your body regenerate exactly as it was with the same strength, agility, and form. There must be some imperfection, or some disconnection with the rest of your body."

"This is ludicrous!" She rose away from him, but Aizen immediately caught her shoulder and threw it down on the mattress. The smirk was gone from his face. His eyes gleamed with disdain and ruthlessness. Imprisoning both her wrists with his left hand, Aizen placed them above her head. His iron hold pressed them into the mattress despite Helena's struggling. He positioned his legs at either of her sides, then closed them, crushing her legs together. She let out a scream.

"Do not worry. They are not broken. But if you continue to struggle, they will be. All your limbs." He casually said, then grabbed her collar with his right hand.

A nasty sound, like that of a machinery saw gnarling through a metal plate, scratched the silence of the room as Aizen tore away the fragile fabric of her kimono, leaving her left side exposed. His grip had not lightened a bit as he inspected her recovered wounds. Helena felt a disgusting flavor rising inside her throat as Aizen's right hand roaming on her left upper body. His touch was not gentle enough to be a caress, yet not rough enough to be a scrape. Somehow it was like torture.

"This is truly strange. I could not find even a smallest of a scar." He spread his hand over the portion of skin between her waist and her breast. "Your bones show no separation that I could feel." He smoothed over her ribs.

"Get your hand off me!" Her protest drew a cold laugh from him.

"You are so used to ordering people around, Lady Kuchiki." He turned his attention back to her abdominal area, and a peculiar spark gleamed in his eyes. "What an unexpected surprise!"

Lowering his head so that their eyes met, Aizen slowly said: "Lady Kuchiki, you are with child."

The excitement within his voice sent a shudder down her spine.

"A child. And an offspring of a shinigami captain and an ethereal being no less. Lady Kuchiki, your child can be a nice addition to my army."

"Get. off. me!" she fought against his grips.

_Crackkk!_

"ARGHHH" Helena screamed.

"That were only your legs, Lady Kuchiki. If you struggle again, your left arm will be next."

Aizen smiled at his captive—she looked like a pale butterfly caught in a crimson web.


	31. Chapter 31

The sun had reduced to a small golden glimmer atop the thin horizon line against the jade blue sky. Kyouraku Shunsui stood on the blood-red watch tower's roof alone. His haori stayed like a heavy drape over his shoulders. No wind. _That's never a good sign. _He breathed and slightly touched his straw hat, then without looking away from the resigning sun, he said:

"Is there anyway I can dissuade you from coming?"

"I am coming, Kyouraku Taichou." The young man gripped his sword tightly. "With or without your permission."

Shunsui chuckled. After a slight pause, he spoke again as he turned around:

"And I guess you are coming too, Kuchiki Taichou?"

Kuchiki Byakuya did not reply, his eyes rested upon the thinning of sunlight and the tiny speckles of pink petals across the air. He swiftly took off his captain coat and let it fall to the ground as Hisagi Shuhei took off his badge. The three looked at one another.

"Tsk, if Yama-ji asks, I didn't recognize you two."

The wind blew over a sublime sunset.

**Chapter 31: Move**

The Kuchiki Manor was under a state of unrest. Servants, messengers, guards were running back and forth wearing a panic expression on their faces. Distress and anxiety filled the meeting room.

"Where is he? What had happened?"

"We got words from the guardian squads that Helena-sama was kidnapped by Aizen..."

"Nevertheless, shouldn't our headmaster inform us of the situation instead? He got injured and then disappeared." Takinawa slammed his fist on the table, "this is unacceptable!"

"Byakuya-sama has gone way out of line!"

"When is he coming to the meeting?"

"Where is he?"

The room broke into chaos. Every elders stood up from their chairs, gesturing aggressively at one another. Toshi tried to keep everyone calm, but his words were in vain; a violent push threw him against his own chair. The meeting was getting out of hand when the heavy doors suddenly swung open: the majestic figure of Hiroshi Tono standing in the door frame. Next to him stood a much smaller figure.

"Please compose yourself. A team led by Captain Kyouraku has already been dispatched to rescue Helena-sama." The figure stepped into the room.

"We need to talk to Byakuya-sama!" Some of the elders cried.

The girl dismissed their cries with a wave of her hand. The violet stare of her eyes were sharp and hard, and her voice was clear.

"In that case, please discuss your concerns with me," something—like sadness—passed over her stately face. "Ni-sama is no longer present in Soul Society. He has left."

…_Hueco Mundo…_

Aizen's smile spread even wider as his captive started to glow in the healing green light. In a matter of moments, the legs which were broken by him were healed. His brows came together. _That is quite interesting. _Without hesitation, he reached for Helena's right arm. _Crackkk._

"ARGHH"

At soon as her arm was broken, a faint light appeared right where the bones were broken into two. The light grew larger and larger, until it encumbered the whole broke arm, whose two broken halves were bent perpendicular to one another. Aizen disregarded the agonizing tears slipping silently from his victim's eyes. In fact, he was completely absorbed by the healing orb that was quickly restoring the arm to its healthy state.

When the arm completely healed, he broke out in laughter.

"Look like your child is more special than I thought. He's protecting his mother, his vessel, even from the womb. Strangely he never stopped me from hurting you. He must have thought that I couldn't kill you faster then he could heal you. I have to say that the arrogance is quite familiar."

The man who was talking to her had the body of a man: his eyes and hair were made of a gentle brown, his features were handsome and intelligent, his speech was polite, and his voice sounded pleasant. But Helena looked behind that shape of a man, and she saw something beyond imagination. It was dark, cold, undiluted evil. Aizen's stare seemed to hypnotize her, sending her spiraling towards a deafening paralysis.

_Byakuya..._

_He held her in his arms as they stood on the balcony and feasted their eyes upon the field purpled with chinese bellflowers. The morning fog had just lifted, and they left their bed early to catch the first rays of sun. They still had on their sleeping kimonos, but an oversized coat wrapped around them. Helena rested her head upon Byakuya's chest, his warmth kept her from shivering. She could feel his breathing on her hair, and the scents of them both wove together into something full of love and quietude. A yellow splint broke out of the blue, and with it came dawn, with wide and shining light coming over them like a heavenly blanket._

"Now is not a good time for daydreaming, Lady Kuchiki." Aizen whispered, his lips were against her ears in an intimate fashion. He chuckled as she moved her head away from him. "I met your father a few times when I was at the academy."

The mention of her deceased father startled her. She turned toward him.

"One time he came to visit the Spiritual Art professor, and next to him was this little girl who was too severe to be only 90 years old," Aizen caught a few strands of her hair and, bringing them to his nose, took in their scent. "I thought to myself: what a pretty girl, maybe I'll wait for another two hundred years before courting her. Can you imagine how disappointed I was to find out later that the Kuchiki house had secured you for their brat?"

"Your disappointment does not concern me."

Her cold reply did not upset him, merely put a smirk on his face. "You are rather cold towards your admirers, correct?"

"I don't need admirers, least of all one like y...arh..." Her sentence was cut short. Aizen's hand closed over her neck, his iron fingers tightened more and more into the delicate muscles of her throat, his palm crushing her larynx.

"You should learn how to be humble, Lady Kuchiki."

He released her throat when the lack of oxygen knocked her out. He stepped out of the bed and poured himself a cup of tea. "What is it, Gin?"

An oddly looking man entered. He moved as if he was a snake, and his form reeked of deception and poison. His eyes were wide but closed.

"A spirit gate was opened right outside the South Gate half an hour ago. The intruders are proceeding through section 12B toward the main chambers."

"Why did you not inform me sooner?" Aizen sipped his tea.

"I did not want to spoil your fun," Gin answered suavely. He knew he was not being scolded. He raised his eyes toward the figure of Helena Kuchiki on the large bed. "What is the use of her?"

"Nothing worth noticing," his leader said. "She's useless."

"Want me to finish her off for ya?" Gin pointed his thumb toward the bed.

"No. She's sleeping. That would be quite rude." Aizen started walking toward the doors. "We should get ready to show our hospitality to our guests, Gin."

They cleared out of the room. The thick doors slammed shut the fate of the woman behind them.

...


	32. Chapter 32

_The world was falling asleep in a warm glow. The bamboo forest sighed in anticipation of another deep slumber, the pond wrapped over itself the blanket of gold. He stood before his white lady, holding her hand in his. "It's time I go home," she declared—her hand slipped away. "See you tomorrow's afternoon!" she would always call back from a distance when the snowy color of her kimono had become one with the sunset._

_…..._

"Captain Hisagi, why are you coming with us?"

Kyoraku's question startled Hisagi Shuhei, and he gave the smiling man running next to him a puzzled look.

"The way you looked back there. If I were to cut you, you would still insist on going."

"Hele...Lady Kuchiki is a very important friend," his eyes dashed down to avoid the stare of Kyoraku.

"Her husband is here. If we successfully rescue her, she will run to his arms only. You, what good can you do being here?"

**Chapter 32: Revealed.**

When the rescue team reached the end of the corridor, they came upon a wide arena like a Roman theatre. The ceiling was a dome adorned with the symbol of a ten wings star in black metal. In front of them was a tall and bare throne, to its either side a narrowed balcony curved along the diagram of the circular wall. Even their breath echoed in this tomb.

"A simple compliment would be courteous, shinigamis."

The voice slowly traveled across the room—more like a voice of a philosopher than a dictator, and least of all a warrior. The king appeared with his advisor, saving their guests the mockery of greeting the underlings.

"Where is she?" Byakuya laid his hand on the handle of his sword.

"Look like the two virtues of patience and courtesy have abandoned you, Kuchiki Taichou. Or else a noble would not be so rude."

"Senb..." the muscle of his throat suddenly contracted and squeezed so tight together he could not utter the words. Kyoraku looked at the young captain over his shoulder. His brows were assuming a comedic expression like ever, but a peculiar glare shone on his eyes.

"Captain Kuchiki, this is still my mission. By coming here, you put yourself under my jurisdiction. Must I say more?"

The young captain made a disgruntled noise, then released his hand from the hilt. At this submission, Kyoraku turned his attention to the two figures near the throne. Both shapes were so familiar and yet so strange. All memories came rushing back at his side; sadness or anger—he did not know which—broke his smile.

"Aizen, we're not here to fight. We just want to retrieve Helena Kuchiki."

"It's strange," Aizen bestowed upon his old comrades a bemused expression, "that a noble women is so important to Soul Society. You people still have this ridiculous custom of privileging the nobles."

"Spare me your contempt, Aizen. We're here to get what's ours."

The man on the throne laughed. Or more appropriately, he chuckled. "You may retrieve her. I have no use for her."

The reply cast a shadow across everyone's faces and raised the eyebrow of the king's own advisor. He turned slightly toward the throne and spoke with a tone both scolding and pleasing: "Aizen-sama, you've got to cut down on playing games with mice."

"Gin, you're very strict." Aizen glanced at his second-in-command and let out a sigh.

"It's true what I told them, Helena is free to go."

Giving Kuchiki Byakuya a cold stare, he continued.

"Her child however...stays."

_...At the moment in Soul Society..._

The House of Kuchiki had declined into a state of unrest when the red ribbon of war fluttered on top of its Shenchein pole. The pole, a three hundred feet sculpture of solid zetura, looked like a blade reaching into the sky. The red ribbon licked the blue metal with its thirst for blood.

"The Shenchein pole is inscribed with the names of all Kuchiki's housemasters. A black ribbon announces the death of a headmaster. A blue ribbon announces the birth of an heir. A gold ribbon announces that a new headmaster has been appointed to his post. A red ribbon...means a challenge for the position of housemaster." Toshi's face was pale and his body rigid.

"No red ribbon has ever been hung in the middle of a headmaster's term. It was used to decide rare cases of twin heirs, or when the previous headmaster passed away without appointing one and the elders could not reach the decision by themselves. The fact that the red ribbon is raised while the Kuchiki housemaster has gone missing is extremely dangerous."

"He cannot challenge the position if the headmaster is not here to meet his challenge," Takinawa exclaimed.

"Foolish child, that is precisely why this is the best time for a red ribbon to rise." Hiroshi casually put himself in the conversation; his dismissal of Takinawa was met with no contest.

"The headmaster is not out performing his duties of the Squad or the House. He has gone missing of his free will, unannounced to anyone. The post is left empty for his immediate family to take up temporarily. If we had our First Lady, she would be the one in charge, it would be ideal that way for you cannot challenge a First Lady to a fight. So the challenge would be pending indefinitely until the master comes back."

"Both our Headmaster and Mistress are gone. So the post goes to his sibling. This means you, Rukia-sama." Toshi turned his pale wrinkles toward the small girl sitting in the center. Her small face was stricken with burden. "If you lose against the challenge, Rukia-sama, you will have to forfeit not only yours, but your brother's headmastership."

"That is_ absurd_!" Takinawa slammed his fist on the tatami floor. "To pick this time to put up the red ribbon, the challenger must belong to the Kuchiki house."

The silence got more tense after the remark, until a trembling voice raised itself to announce the grave truth.

"The challenger is Horomaru Kuchiki," Toshi whispered the name with anguish. "He has been plotting this all along, and we have been foolish enough to fall into his trap."

"Your misguided trust on Horomaru will cost the Kuchiki its headmaster," Hiroshi severely scorned the gray heads sitting around him.

"It's not _our _fault. How could we have expected this betrayal?"

Many elders protested the accusation. They pounded on the tables, stood up from the circle, and yelled angrily. In their riot there was the wild look of desperation. They could no longer cling to rules to mend what is wrong, nor could they call upon their master to mask their incompetence.

"SHUT UP. You freeloaders!" Hiroshi roared, and everyone immediately returned to their seat. He continued slowly fanning himself, then turned toward Maikham—the rules booker, "how long until we absolutely must face the challenger?"

"Every red ribbon must be responded within 12 gongs. We have eight more gongs until forfeiting."

"The rescue team left six gongs ago, two gongs before the red ribbon was raised. I heard from Captain Ukitake that they are supposed to complete the mission in 18 gongs." Kuchiki Rukia said, her little hands folded tight on her thighs.

"Which leaves us with four gongs to fill," Hiroshi caressed his massive beard. He looked at the small girl beside him and could not help but feel strong sympathy. _Poor girl, can she sustain that beast for four gongs? That brat Byakuya!_

"There is no other choice. I will face the challenger before the twelfth gong and try to hold out until Nii-sama comes home."

"You would be throwing your life away," the heavenly descendant bluntly told him.

Rukia straightened her back and steered her eyes towards him—the violet was as bright as crystalized amethyst. "At least I would not be wasting my life."

"Tsk," Hiroshi Tono—closing his fan—stood up and took his leave from the committee, "are you sure you are not his biological sister?"

_You stubborn Kuchiki kids, you must always bother my old soul!_

Hiroshi Tono continued to walk along the corridor, his steps were getting progressively lighter, his body was becoming thinner like an edgeless phantom. He then faded into the vacancy of the air.

…_Hueco Munco Aizen's chamber..._

Helena awoke with a blinding headache. She quickly noticed her tattered kimono and grabbed the silk bedsheet to cover herself. Her sight scanned the room: _no one's here_. As Kuchiki Helena stepped out of the massive bed, she saw a pale halfmoon hanging atop the black sky. The lonely and eerie light poured inside the room over the giant window, which filled the entire height of the wall. It washed over the crimson bedsheet wrapped around her figure as the cold violet beam over the stain of blood.

She picked up the nightstand in front of her and—using all her strength—threw the small furniture into the window. The tall glass shattered and fell at her feet, but no wind touched her face. It was the perfect silence of hollowness.

"Curse this bloody place!"

She turned around and found an old man looking at her. Suddenly she felt very unsettling, but also oddly happy. Something reminded her about her mother—in the middle of this dreadful episode. She felt her blood embracing itself into a wave that quickened her heartbeats. She felt as ice melting, as a fetus being back in the womb, as a soldier marching home. Yet he looked at her so severely!

"Who are you?" she asked softly.

"Your grandfather."


	33. Chapter 33

_She felt as if her blood was rising like a cool wave that toppled over her erratic heartbeats like a spring shower. Like ice melting. Like a fetus being back in the womb. Like a soldier marching home._

"You're...my grandfather?"

Helena looked at the ancient man standing before her, the one was staring at her so severely. His eyes were like mirrors through which she could see the world. A never-ending world. Full of sakura trees. Full of sky and water and earth. Full of harmony and also full of the unpredictable temperament of nature.

After a while she said, "Alright, grandfather, can you get me out of this place?"

"No question? No interrogation? That's strange coming from you Helena."

"I have more important issues to solve."

She turned and looked at the pale smile of the dead moon. _Like how I'm going to break out of here. _She placed her hand on her stomach. Aizen's words sent chill down her spine.

"I have the power to get you out of here," he spoke.

"That's great. I just need some clot.."

"But I won't do that," Hiroshi sternly replied.

"YOU, you SCOUNDREL!"

Slap!

Hiroshi raised his golden fan and tapped it hard on the Kuchiki First Lady's head. His voice was almost threatening, "hold your tongue!"

This act puzzled Helena enough for her to cease her anger. Hundreds of years she had lived, no one had ever tapped her on the head as a form of discipline. She stood like a lightning struck post, her eyes stared at the intricate fan in Hiroshi's hand in disbelief.

"That stubborn husband of yours is here to rescue you without informing anyone. Horomaru has raised a challenge for the master post, which will be taken up by your sister-in-law Rukia for as long as she can manage. When you're here thinking of yourself, the Kuchiki house might crumble at any moment."

"Think about it Helena, taking you back might halt the fight between Horomaru and Rukia and stall the problem, but you, as the First Lady, have no right to conduct the fight yourself. Bringing you back will be useless unless Byakuya returns."

Hiroshi looked at his granddaughter. At her eyes that were darker than the night. Like eyes of storms. Not once had he held her in his arms and told her a bedtime story, nor had he spoken to her outside of formality. Yet here he was, after all these empty years, to ask of her something unthinkable.

"Helena..."

"I know what you mean," she stared at him directly like she had always done so to anyone. "You can only have the advantage of surprise once, and that should be used to bring Byakuya back to Soul Society."

"This request must be hard for you, especially from a stranger."

"You're not a stranger. Aren't you my grandfather?"

"Yes, but I haven't..."

"My mother would have been glad. I'm sure." Helena gently lifted the corners of the her mouth into a smile. It was hard to discern whether it was happiness or acceptance she expressed.

Hiroshi's eyes got blurry. "Helena my child, I didn't want to be so cruel to you. If I could, I would have rescued you in a heartbeat."

"That's fine. Stop crying, it makes you look undignified," _Please stop crying. Or I wouldn't be able to stop myself. _"And you're wrong. This isn't hard. In fact, it's one of the easiest requests I have ever received."

She closed her eyes and again imagined the twilight falling over the sakura trees. The wind softly swayed the branches, making the leaves sing, and water trickling down the fountain in quiet melody. She could see him, dressed in white robe, standing next to her while looking at the end of the sky. She could see the moment so clearly now. So clear she could almost smell the fresh morning and feel his warmth around her.

"I would have liked us to have tea and tell you stories, Helena. I'm sorry that we wouldn't be able to do that."

"Grandfather..."

One step closer.

Hiroshi touched his granddaughter's forehead. A symbol like that of a sakura branch appeared on her porcelain forehead. The symbol looked like it was made out of bright light filtered through the pinkish petals of a sakura bloom.

Helena looked down. A lavish kimono sewn out of light covered her.

"It's your mother's. You look beautiful in it."

_Mother. _She had never known her mother. In fact, she doubted she ever knew what having a mother would be like. Was it like having a tutor? A governess? Some combination of both? That curiosity died long ago. She wondered why it's so alive now.

"Was my mother beautiful? Was she gentle? Was she smart?"

"Yes, she was." Hiroshi said. He placed his hand on her head, like a grandfather would. "She has always been protecting you, and she always will."

She felt something wet running down her cheeks. Hiroshi, no, _grandfather, _smelled of tobacco and sandalwood. It was a comforting scent.

"Remember, Byakuya and you were fated to be together. You were born for his sake, and his power was gained for your sake. No matter what happens, nothing will change that."

"I don't understand."

"I'm sorry Helena. I'm sorry for have given you a family, then taken it away so soon."

Hiroshi smiled at his granddaughter for the first and one last time, then disappeared in a whirl of wind.

"Grandfather...."

**Chapter 33: The Eye of Soul Society**

"Aizen, what do you mean?" Kyoraku said. "What does Kuchiki Helena's child have to do with this?"

"After all the troubles I went through to take her here, don't you think I was not promised a compensation?"

"Neither of them belongs to you," Byakuya's hand returned to his sword.

"I beg to differ, Captain Kuchiki. Your child will make a nice addition in my army."

"Aizen!" He released his sword.

SLAP!

Someone tapped him on the head. _Sensei?_

Hiroshi Tono appeared in the arena. He was wearing a black ceremonial robe. His long beard was brushed into the formation of a great wave. His right hand held a golden fan. He came silently, as if he had suddenly materialized from thin air.

"Oh?" Aizen reached forward from his throne. "Mine mine, aren't you the master sensei of the Kuchiki clan?"

"How come our barrier did not detect his presence here?" Gin turned to his captain.

"As a descendant of the Heavenly guards, his spiritual energy is of a different kind than a normal shinigami. He was not seen in public for a thousand years. One cannot put up a barrier for a form of spiritual energy one has never encountered."

"But our barrier also acts on special frequency of a shinigami's spiritual energy. Anyone who comes into this place, even if undetected the first time, will certainly set off the alarm when they pass through the barrier again."

"He played no part in any war or battle but rather instructed and oversaw the training of the elites. He could pass through our barrier undetected." Aizen stood up from his throne. "But that advantage is over now. Am I right?"

"For a lowly traitor, you're pretty smart." Hiroshi chuckled.

"Sensei, did you rescue Helena? Sensei!"

"Kuchiki Taichou," Kyoraku interrupted Byakuya's questions. His voice was unusually quiet. "The fact that he's here without setting off their alarm indicates that he didn't rescue her."

"He...abandoned her?" Hisagi Shuhei stared at the man in front of him in disbelief. "Aren't you supposed to take care of the Kuchiki House? What kind of Sensei are y..."

A glare from Hiroshi silenced Hisagi. Air was forced out of his lungs in an instant. _I can't breath. _He fell onto his knees. As soon as they touched the ground, he felt air returning to his lungs.

"I'll accept your bow as an apology for your insolence," Hiroshi said. "As to you, Byakuya, how dare you raise your sword against me?"

He had drawn his sword. His blood was boiling. "If you're not going to rescue her, then I will fight to rescue her myself."

"Child, your fight isn't here. The Kuchiki House is currently in danger because of your rash behavior."

Hiroshi's words struck home. Byakuya's hand froze on the hilt of his sword. _What? _

"Horomaru puts up a challenge. Your sister will be forced to fight in your stead."

He couldn't move. The past were catching up to him.

"_Mother. Father. I swear. No more bending of rules to my selfish desire. From now on, I'll lead with pride and principle like you wanted."_

"_Grandfather, when I'm housemaster, I will make the Kuchiki name more glorious than ever before."_

"_I'll find her, Hisana. Then I will protect her with my life."_

They were all rushing back--his promises to them, to himself. Her image was rushing back to him too. Helena. So tall and stern. Looking at him like a judge. Her tough so warm and tender. Her rare smile. How she gently leaned on to him as they watched the dawn breaking its glorious gold over the sky.

…_._

_The great field. Lovely but lonesome. Laid out with grass that was evergreen. An ever somber sky and thin idly passing clouds. One sakura tree stood, its roots were like arms hugging the earth. Sitting on one of the branches, his Senbonzakura. _

"_Why am I here?" he asked._

_Because your heart was unsure. She answered voicelessly. Her green eyes glowed. __You wanted my guidance. _

_Then within a flash she was in front of him. Don't worry, she whispered, no one would notice._

"_What should I do?"_

_Tsk tsk tsk, she shook her head. Her long hair danced and twirled in mid-air. Confused? Kuchiki Byakuya?_

"_What should I do?"_

_Senbonzakura raised her hand, and pointed at his heart. Only when you discover the truth that you will know my real power. Only then Byakuya._

"_I didn't know what you meant the first time. I don't know even now. What power?"_

_You are to protect her. That is my wish._

…_._

The field disappeared, and before him was the wide arena with Hiroshi standing in front of him. A faint smile was on his lip. His eyes, however, was brimming with tears. "Did you see her?" he asked.

"Senbonzakura? Yes, I did. I don't understand..."

"Isn't she beautiful?...my dear daughter."

"Your daughter. Impossible!" Kyoraku jumped over. "There's no record of any shinigami spirit becoming a zanpakto."

Byakuya could only look at the man who had taught him how to walk. Senbonzakura was heating up in his hand. He thought he could feel heartbeats beside his own. Yearning and longing.

Suddenly Senbonzakura let out a stream of screech like that of a thousand birds. An orb of light swiftly expanded from its hilt to cover the rest of the arena. The light lingered for only a few seconds, then disappeared in a flash.

"Helena..."

She was there. Next to him. Wearing a magnificent kimono that seemed to be made out of all the stars in the universe. Their eyes met for a moment, then both turned towards the ancient man responsible for it all.

"Like I said, your fight isn't here. Not now. Go home."

With that, and a wave of his fan, Hiroshi sent them all back to Soul Society. As if they had never been here.

Behind him, a loud crash occurred. A quarter of the white wall surrounding the dome had crumbled. Aizen was no longer on the balcony. Instead, he was hanging in mid-air. His arms folded. It was fury. Deep, malicious, and cold fury.

"That was rather rude of you, Sensei. Sending all my house guests away without asking the host."

"Give me a break, kid."

Another part of the wall crumbled.

"As a descendent of the Heavenly guards, you are strictly forbidden to kill. In other words," Aizen's eyes lost their aloofness, "you're giving me your life."

"I may not be able to kill. But I can injure you in such a way that you won't be able to pursue them." _Well, not until they're ready for you anyway. _"Don't think you'll gain anything with my body by the way. My death only results in the simple disappearance of all that had made up me as a spirit."

"Old man, you've lived too long." Aizen held out his hand, a sword appeared. The dome suddenly grew vast. "I'll shut your eyes for good this time."

"Kids nowaday. No respect for their elders, eh?" Hiroshi opened his golden fan. A flame erupted on his body and reached the top of the dome. The black ceremonious robe burnt away, revealing a heavy golden armor. The fire twisted into the shape of an egg, then broke upon into the shape of a beautiful phoenix, as brilliant as the copper sun.

_Little Byakuya, Helena, I really would have liked to have tea together._

_..._

_An eye for an eye_

_One to see the future_

_One to tell the past_

_Rising from the ashes_

_Life is born.  
_


End file.
